When you invest in a new dust extraction system, you’re not just buying a piece of equipment — you’re putting in place the control measure your business relies on to protect employees from hazardous airborne dust and to meet its legal obligations under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002. Getting that system right, from initial design through to commissioning, is what HSG258 — the HSE’s guidance on local exhaust ventilation (LEV) — exists to ensure.
At Air Plants, HSG258 isn’t a document we consult occasionally; it’s built into how we design, install and commission every system we deliver. Here’s what HSG258 covers, why it matters to your business, and what you should be checking for when you specify a new dust extraction system.
HSG258, “Controlling airborne contaminants at work: A guide to local exhaust ventilation (LEV),” is published by the Health and Safety Executive. It sets out recognised good practice for the entire lifecycle of an LEV system — design, installation, commissioning, use, maintenance, examination and testing.
HSG258 is guidance rather than law, but it explains how to meet the legal duties set out in the COSHH Regulations, and HSE inspectors use it as the benchmark for what “adequate” control of airborne contaminants looks like. In practice, a system designed and commissioned in line with HSG258 is your clearest evidence that you’ve taken your legal duty of care seriously.
HSG258’s core purpose is ensuring dust, fume, vapour, gas and mist are captured effectively before they reach a worker’s breathing zone. A system that looks the part but hasn’t been designed to the correct capture and duct velocities for your specific process can leave your team exposed, even while appearing to be “working.”
COSHH places a legal duty on employers to adequately control exposure to hazardous substances. HSG258 compliant design, installation and commissioning — backed by a Thorough Examination and Test (TExT) at least every 14 months — is the recognised way to demonstrate that duty has been met.
The HSE actively inspects sites using LEV, and non-compliant systems are a common source of Improvement Notices, Prohibition Notices and fines. A system specified and commissioned to HSG258 standards, with full documentation, is your strongest defence.
A dust extraction system is a significant capital investment. Poor initial design — incorrect duct velocities, badly sized hoods, an undersized fan — can mean a system that never performs as intended, however good the filter unit itself is. Getting the design right from day one avoids costly remedial work later.
Alongside HSG258-compliant design, every Air Plants system is manufactured to carry the relevant ATEX certification and CE marking. For combustible dusts — wood dust included — ATEX compliance isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s essential protection against the risk of dust explosion within ducting, filters and collection equipment. CE marking confirms that our fans, filters and ancillary equipment meet the essential health, safety and environmental protection requirements for equipment placed on the market.
Together, HSG258-compliant design and ATEX/CE certified equipment give our customers confidence that a system isn’t just effective on day one, but safe, compliant and built to last.
Whether you’re working with Air Plants or evaluating another supplier, here’s what you should be checking for before committing to a new system:
Air Plants has been designing, manufacturing and installing dust extraction systems in the UK since 1897, with over 50,000 installations nationwide. HSG258-compliant design and commissioning, ATEX certification and CE marking aren’t add-ons we apply when asked — they’re the standard we build every system to, so our customers can be confident their new system protects their people and meets their legal obligations from day one.
