Guide to Dust Extraction

Reviewed by Peter Kendall, Technical Support Engineer (January 2025)

Dust extraction is a method for keeping a factory or working environment clean and safe. Dust extraction systems remove dust and particulate matter from the air or from surfaces. Dust extraction is required by law. Read on to learn what dust extraction is, why it’s important, and about some of the dust extraction systems you can use to keep your workplace safe.

Installing extraction systems for dust reduces the number of particles in the air. This makes it less likely that production workers inhale hazardous substances.

Dust generated in wood-cutting may cause coughing, chest tightness, or wheezing. That’s why wood dust extraction is so important. Long-term exposure to dust is also associated with asthma and pneumonia. Dust exposure is linked to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. Meanwhile dust is explosive, which makes build-up of it in the atmosphere a potentially huge safety risk.

There are production drawbacks, too. If dust builds up on machinery and tools it can interfere with their function. Because dust is often very fine, it can infiltrate the most delicate components and cause problems. This might lead to a machine overheating or other problems that result in downtime. Dust can also impact the quality of finished components.

How does a dust extraction system work? Typically, dust extraction systems work by sucking air through a filter that captures and separates the dust. The system then recirculates the purified air.

Industrial dust extraction and workshop dust extraction is a legal requirement. The Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974 is designed to ensure workers are not exposed to unnecessary risks from their employment. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) 2002 regulations also require protecting workers from exposure to hazardous materials. There are also the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations of 2002, which dictate how to handle explosive dust. It’s incumbent on employers to ensure they meet these regulations.

When you are setting up a workshop, it’s important to think about how you will remove dust. Part of your budget should be devoted to industrial dust extraction or woodworking dust extraction equipment.

There are lots of high-quality dust collection systems on the market to enable workshop dust extraction. They allow you to focus on the job at hand while automatically removing dust and debris and maintaining the air quality of your workshop.

Woodworking, woodturning, joinery and cabinet-making enterprises should invest in woodworking dust extraction systems because woodworking equipment typically produces a lot of dust during operation. Dust extraction systems for woodworking should provide a reliable air flow, be easy to clean and maintain, and be capable of collecting large volumes of dust. The extraction system should be easy to move around and connect to different pieces of machinery if necessary, which may mean it requires a range of inlet sizes.

Some workshop vacuum cleaner systems can double up as dust extractors by connecting the hose to a tool. Larger air filter systems, meanwhile, scrub the entire air of a typical workshop. A motor and fan pull the air through the filtration system to collect dust and safely keep it from the working environment. Big woodworking workshops featuring lathes or bandsaws may require a central dust extraction system.

Dust extraction systems in industrial and manufacturing environments guard against explosion and circulate clean air. There are lots of types of dust extraction systems on the market for industrial premises.

Types of dust extraction systems for industrial facilities and workshops include:

• Dust collectors. Dust collectors are industrial dust extractors. They have a large footprint and capture particulate matter in the air using a system of filters. They include overhead ductwork, suction hoods, and a dust collector blower.
• Air filters. Workshop air filters can be wall- or ceiling-mounted or standalone designs. They work steadily in the background to purify air.
• Chip or large dust extractor. These dust extractors are designed to remove chips or large dust particles from bandsaws, table saws, and planers.
• Fine dust extractors. Suitable for use with sanding machines, these systems filter out very fine dust from the atmosphere.
• Vacuum extractors. Capable of dealing with large volumes of waste from woodworking, these machines are suitable for pairing with dedicated woodcutting equipment in a workshop.
• Power tool extractors. These are smaller, portable vacuum extractors – similar to a vacuum cleaner – for removing fine dust.

If you’re doing sanding work, many sanding tools now come with built-in dust collection mechanisms or canisters to help make the job less messy. Alternatively, the sander can be connected via a hose to a power tool extractor. As power tool extractors are often specifically designed to capture sanding dust, this is a great option for keeping the environment clean and dust-free when you are sanding.

Grinding always generates a lot of dust and debris. You can collect dust from a grinding machine using a dust shroud, a dust extraction hose, and a dust extraction vacuum to suck dust away before it accumulates.

Dust extraction uses include everything from applications in huge production facilities to the workshops of hobbyists – in fact anywhere where exposure to dust is likely.

In Britain, there are three dust extraction classes: L class, M class, and H class. L class dust extractor equipment is entry-level and for capturing material from softwoods, while M class dust extraction systems are for capturing material from concrete, hardwood, and brick. H class dust extractor systems are the most sophisticated and are designed to remove carcinogenic dust, mould, asbestos, and even bacteria from the workplace.

Whichever class you decide to go for, make sure you invest in a dust extraction system. It’s the law, and it will help keep you and your employees safe.

As well as tools for dust extraction, RS carries a wide variety of power tools. Explore our range.