Quantify exposure to silica, welding fume and diesel exhaust using personal and static air monitoring.
Occupational Health & Safety
Workplace Carcinogen Exposure Control for Silica, Welding Fume and Diesel Exhaust
Trains occupational hygienists and safety leads to assess and control exposure to respirable crystalline silica, welding fume and diesel exhaust using monitoring and engineering controls.
🗓️Duration5 training days
📚Content4 modules · 8 sessions
🎓On completionAccredited attendance certificate
About the programme
Course Overview
Silica dust, welding fume and diesel exhaust are now recognised as workplace carcinogens, yet exposure often continues unmeasured because the hazard is invisible and the harm develops years later. This course trains occupational hygienists, safety leads and supervisors to quantify exposure using personal and static air monitoring, compare results against workplace exposure limits, and select engineering controls that actually reduce airborne concentration rather than merely meeting a paperwork requirement. Through monitoring data interpretation exercises and control selection scenarios covering cutting, grinding, welding and vehicle operation, participants learn to specify on-tool extraction and local exhaust ventilation, select and fit-test respiratory protective equipment, and design a health surveillance programme that catches early signs of occupational lung disease. The course also covers the records and worker communication needed to sustain controls over time. Participants leave with an exposure monitoring plan, a control selection matrix and a health surveillance programme outline for their own workforce.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Compare monitoring results against relevant workplace exposure limits and identify non-compliant tasks.
Specify on-tool extraction and local exhaust ventilation matched to specific cutting and grinding tasks.
Select, fit-test and maintain respiratory protective equipment appropriate to the measured exposure.
Design a health surveillance programme that detects early signs of silicosis and occupational lung disease.
Reduce diesel exhaust exposure through engine controls, ventilation and workplace segregation.
Communicate exposure risk and control requirements to workers and supervisors on affected tasks.
Who Should Attend
Occupational hygienists and safety advisors assessing airborne carcinogen exposure.
Site supervisors managing cutting, grinding, welding or diesel plant operations.
Occupational health practitioners running health surveillance programmes.
Construction and manufacturing managers responsible for exposure control investment.
Facilities engineers specifying local exhaust ventilation and extraction equipment.
Trade union safety representatives raising exposure concerns on behalf of workers.
Course Modules
Select any module to see its sessions and points.
01Understanding the Hazards and Measuring Exposure
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Recognising Sources of Silica, Fume and Exhaust Exposure
- Identify tasks that generate respirable crystalline silica, including cutting, grinding and demolition.
- Identify welding processes and metals that produce the highest fume concentrations and toxicity.
- Identify diesel plant and vehicle operations that raise exhaust exposure in enclosed or semi-enclosed spaces.
- Explain how particle size and exposure duration affect the health risk from each hazard.
Session 2Conducting and Interpreting Exposure Monitoring
- Plan a personal exposure monitoring survey that represents a worker's typical exposure over a shift.
- Position static monitoring equipment to characterise background concentration in a work area.
- Interpret monitoring results against workplace exposure limits and identify tasks exceeding them.
- Report monitoring findings to management and affected workers in clear, actionable terms.
02Selecting and Installing Engineering Controls
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Specifying On-Tool Extraction and Wet Suppression
- Specify on-tool extraction systems matched to cutting, grinding and drilling equipment in use.
- Select wet suppression methods that reduce dust generation at the point of cutting or breaking.
- Verify extraction airflow and capture efficiency against manufacturer performance specifications.
- Maintain extraction equipment on a schedule that prevents performance degradation over time.
Session 2Designing Local Exhaust Ventilation for Welding and Diesel Plant
- Design local exhaust ventilation hoods positioned to capture fume at the welding arc.
- Specify general ventilation rates for enclosed spaces where diesel plant regularly operates.
- Evaluate diesel particulate filters and engine controls as exposure reduction measures.
- Segregate diesel plant operation from occupied work areas where elimination is not practicable.
03Respiratory Protection and Health Surveillance
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Selecting and Fit-Testing Respiratory Protective Equipment
- Select respiratory protective equipment with a protection factor matched to measured exposure levels.
- Fit-test tight-fitting respirators for individual workers and record the results.
- Train workers on correct donning, doffing and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment.
- Establish a facial hair and compatibility policy that supports an effective respirator seal.
Session 2Designing and Running Health Surveillance
- Design a health surveillance programme covering lung function testing appropriate to each hazard.
- Set surveillance frequency based on exposure level and the latency of occupational lung disease.
- Ensure surveillance results are reviewed by a qualified professional and fed back to management appropriately.
- Act on surveillance findings by reviewing controls for workers showing early signs of harm.
04Sustaining Controls and Communicating Risk
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Auditing and Maintaining Control Effectiveness
- Audit extraction and ventilation systems regularly to confirm they still meet performance specifications.
- Re-monitor exposure after control changes to verify the intended reduction has been achieved.
- Investigate control failures or bypassed equipment identified during site inspections.
- Update risk assessments when new tasks, materials or equipment change exposure potential.
Session 2Communicating Risk and Building Worker Engagement
- Communicate exposure and health surveillance findings to workers in clear, non-technical language.
- Involve workers and their representatives in selecting practical, wearable respiratory protection.
- Train supervisors to recognise and correct control bypass or misuse of protective equipment.
- Report exposure control performance and health surveillance trends to senior management.
What the participant receives
4 course modules
A structured syllabus
8 training sessions
across 5 days
32 detailed points
Applied, detailed content
Accredited attendance certificate
On completing the programme
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