Sawdust triggered teacher's asthma

Sasha Wood | Prosecutions and Claims |
01.12.2008

Stirling Council has been fined after a woodwork teacher contracted occupational asthma through exposure to sawdust. The council had ignored the concerns of staff and health and safety advisors about wood dust levels at Bannockburn High School.

John Shand worked in the design and technology department of the school in Stirling between November 2002 and January 2007, during which time he inhaled high levels of fine wood dust, known to cause asthma and cancer. After he visited the doctor, he realised he was suffering from work-related asthma.

An HSE investigation found that no risk assessments had been carried out, the measures for controlling exposure to sawdust were inadequate and staff lacked health and safety training. The masks provided did not protect wearers from fine dust. "Council officers could see dust on surfaces which would indicate poor dust control," said fiscal depute Caroline Dickson, "Hard and soft wood-dust can cause asthma and cancer. Because of that there is a maximum exposure level. The school had not exceeded the maximum but because they are particularly nasty substances there is a duty to keep exposure as low as possible. That didn't happen."

At Stirling Sheriff Court, the council was found guilty of breaching Regulations 6(1)(a) 7(1) and 12(1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002, for failing to assess and control the risk of exposure to a substance hazardous to health, and for not providing information or training on the health risks. The council was fined £5000, but sheriff William Gilchrist said he would have fined them more if the money wasn't coming out of the children's services budget.

According to HSE principal inspector Cheryl Anthony, "Taking simple steps, and installing suitable extraction, can control dust exposure, which in turn will protect workers provided it is used correctly and is adequately maintained." Combined with suitable training and health checks, the risk that sawdust poses to health can be minimised.

Shand still works at the school as a biology teacher.