Welding Fumes Oxfordshire

Hazardous Substance Assessment in Witney

In January 2025, a Hazardous Substance Assessment was carried out at a precision engineering site in Witney. The main aim was to see how much exposure workers had to airborne substances like metalworking fluids and aluminium dust, especially during machining and post-processing tasks.

Good news first is that nothing breached official exposure limits. That said, exposure to metalworking fluid mist came in just high enough to be considered significant, meaning it’s still within safe levels but shouldn’t be ignored. Aluminium dust levels during sanding were low and not a concern but sanding wasn’t happening on the monitoring day, so follow-up checks were recommended.

A few practical fixes were suggested such as; to enforce clearance time before machine doors are opened, connect the wet blasting system to LEV and fix the airflow monitor on the sander. Also, health surveillance and specific training for those working with metalworking fluids came up as top priorities.

With good housekeeping, a bit more monitoring, and better education around the risks, the site can stay safe and compliant without interrupting the high-quality output they’re known for.