Health protection in the workplace includes air pollution control – at the customer's premises and in the workshop. Dust-free work is not only a requirement of the professional associations, but also a quality feature.

Dust must be eliminated
Clean work leaves the customer with a professional impression and achieves high-quality results with smooth work processes. The tradesperson benefits from this in terms of both business management and personal health protection. Occupational illnesses caused by dust are at the top of the statistics. If too much dust is inhaled at work, this can lead to coughing and chronic inflammation of the airways and to more severe illnesses.

With the aim of reducing health risks from dust, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) has further reduced the occupational exposure limit for inhalable dust (E dust) and even finer, alveolar dust (A dust). These are very fine particles, measuring < 10 μm (one micrometre =one thousandth of a millimetre), which can reach the air sacs (alveoli) (Source: www.bgbau.de/staubarm-bauen/).

Two types of dust extractor

• Open system: Machines with dedusting clean the main filter at regular intervals and ensure consistently high suction power. Machines of this type are practical for handling large amounts of fine dust, which accumulates when using long-reach sanders or restoration/diamond sanders.
  - Mobile dust extractor with AUTOCLEAN (AC) filter cleaning + plastic disposal bag
• Closed system: A filter bag is necessary to operate units without dedusting.
  - Mobile dust extractor with SELFCLEAN filter bag (single-use)

The right mobile dust extractor for your every need
Whether stationary or mobile on the construction site: Festool has the right mobile dust extractor for every application, depending on the amount of dust and the material to be extracted (see box with information about dust classes).
In addition to the dust class, the size of the dust container plays an important role too. Compact tools work well on construction sites, while large-capacity systems are the better choice for workshops.

Tips for practical applications
Technology is one thing, clean work is another. Even simple rules help to minimise dust and protect health. This includes wearing respiratory masks and protective goggles, using low-dust procedures, using consumables properly, vacuuming up the dust and ensuring that the tool and hose are connected securely and firmly, and last but not least, selecting the right extractor.
Philipp Stahl, Application Engineer at Festool, explains: "Efficient dust extraction not only keeps the working environment clean but also increases the service life of power tools: Less dust is able to penetrate the motor, the bearings and the electronics, meaning that tools work more reliably and last longer. A win-win situation for health and quality. "

Information about Festool is available at www.festool.co.uk

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