Flintshire is the most north-easterly county in Wales bordering the English county of Cheshire to the east, Denbighshire to the west and Wrexham County Borough to the south.

 

P&J Dust Extraction have been working with the Council’s schools and other Council premises for over 15 years, providing them with the most appropriate Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) systems for each school and carrying out the yearly Statutory LEV Thorough Test and Examination for the Council’s 10 schools, their Deeside Workscheme, Estuary Crafts Gift Shop and Theatre Clwyd Complex and Art Centre.

Elfed High School is one of Flintshire County Council’s ‘Outstanding Learning Community’ school, it was opened in 1954 with purpose built accommodation in over 30 acres of ground.

 

Their students benefit from D&T and Science classrooms and workshops with excellent modern facilities. The High School which accommodates 600 pupils has very high standards to maintain and are confident of the benefit and competency that P&J Dust Extraction offer regarding the relevant Health & Safety legislation in controlling substances hazardous to the health of their students.

 

Within their D&T and Science departments students at Elfed carry out woodworking, welding, soldering and brazing processes involving substances such as hardwoods, softwoods, MDF and a variety of metals. Dusts and fumes emitted from these processes are all causes of respiratory disease and occupational asthma, and therefore it is imperative for the school to have the most efficient LEV systems in place to safeguard the Health & Safety of their pupils and staff.

 

Following the Schools statutory LEV test and examination in March 2014 by one of our BOHS & AILEVE qualified LEV test engineers several causes of concern were noted and discussed in depth with the school’s technician before leaving site. A detailed report of the thorough examination and test together with the essential and recommended improvements and observations were emailed to the schools technician.

 

Due to the importance of the school pupils Health & Welfare the council’s Business Manager asked P&J to provide a quotation for the improvements works within their metalwork room, prep room and woodworking room as soon as possible.

 

The recommended improvements consisted of the installation of two pressure gauges across the filters on two separate LEV systems which would show any drop in filter pressure, as recommended by the HSE in HSG258, a safety feature highlighting the necessity to clean the filters when pressure drops, thus maintaining the most efficient extraction at all times.

 

We also advised on the addition of three pressure gauges near each extraction hood and ducting drop on another LEV system, again for the user to gauge whether the extraction system is maintaining the correct pressure for the most efficient extraction. The final recommendation was to replace the filters on two of the extraction systems. P&J manufacture fabric filters to fit all makes of extraction units.