Several widely used building materials emit particles in their dust when cut which is harmful when inhaled. These operations cannot be avoided during construction or renovation works, but they can be filtered to avoid potential harm to workers and building users:

• Silica Dust; created when working on materials containing silica like concrete, mortar and sandstone, also known as respirable crystalline silica or RCS. Silicosis is the disease most associated with crystalline silica exposure; it is incurable but preventable with effective construction air cleaning units.
• Wood Dust; created when working on softwood, hardwood and wood-based products like MDF and plywood. Formaldehyde resins are used to bind the fibres in MDF and testing has consistently revealed that MDF products emit free formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds that pose health risks at unsafe contamination levels, for at least several months after manufacture. Urea-formaldehyde is always being slowly released from the edges and surfaces of MDF, posing a more significant risk during cutting and shaping.
• Plasterboard Dust; created when working on materials containing very little or no silica. The most common include gypsum for example in plasterboard, limestone and marble. Whilst this dust can be an irritant, it is less hazardous to health than silica and wood dust.

Construction workers have a high risk of developing respiratory diseases because many common construction tasks can create high dust levels. Over 500 construction workers are believed to die from exposure to silica dust every year. It only takes a very small amount of the very fine respirable silica dust to create a health hazard. Recognizing that very small, respirable silica particles are hazardous, HSE guidelines require construction employers to keep worker exposures at or below an Exposure Level of 0.1 mg/m3.

Construction and renovation works in healthcare environments require particularly careful management, as the Aspergillus mould spores present in all buildings can cause serious problems for those with weakened immune systems.

Where construction is adjacent to, or near to, oncology or transplant units, even more, care is needed. Despite negative pressure and sealing the work area, a backstop is often required, with mobile high-performance construction air cleaners adopted within each treatment area. These units maintain clean air with sufficient air changes, ensuring any bacteria, viruses or particulates are effectively filtered.

Where construction is adjacent to, or near to, oncology or transplant units, even more, care is needed. Despite negative pressure and sealing the work area a backstop is often required, with mobile high-performance construction air cleaners adopted within each treatment area. These units maintain clean air with sufficient air changes, ensuring any bacteria, viruses or particulates are effectively filtered.

Each mobile standalone air filtration unit can be fitted with an Inflow or an Outflow to create positive and negative pressure rooms, isolating sensitive areas from particulate contamination.

Airborne contamination by ultra-fine particulates can be challenging to control, particularly in an environment where high dust quantities are present.

Large dust falling onto surfaces rapidly means more cleaning is required, but it is the small, airborne particles which can be inhaled and cause problems for construction workers. The common respirator masks used simply are not efficient enough to capture these small particles which pass directly through the mask.

Legal limits on air pollution guidelines involve particulate – dust and airborne particles, gases and chemicals, all of which can be present in a wide range of construction and renovation activities. The combination of particulate, chemicals and gases from a range of paints, varnishes and building materials can pose a significant problem for building operators. The use of standalone mobile construction air cleaning units with a combination of filtration media can address all of these categories simply and effectively.