School Dust Extraction Systems

Last Century dust extraction installed in schools offer none of the technical advances in safety features available today

Unique to NZ DUCT, SuperSafe filters for schools: Vertical Flameless Venting

Major European suppliers have continued to develop all aspects of dust extraction safety - choose a 21stC solution

Noise considerations are a factor in school environments: Acoustic Booths can be installed to minimise levels.

Small footprints are essential: SuperSafe filters are modular and can easily be expanded to make 2 or 3 modules.

NZ DUCT are the only supplier in NZ able to offer flameless venting

NZ Duct have dust and fume solutions ideal for the limited space often available in schools

This school chose a dust free environment installing a SuperSafe dust extractor with VFV for safe efficient long lasting extraction.

Protect young lungs: flexible Downdraft tables can be mounted on wheels or connected to fixed ducting

Protecting New Zealand's Students and Educators

NZ DUCT technical sales staff are in schools and further education sites every week and constantly see examples of inadequate dust extraction either due to badly designed duct layouts, under sized dust extraction collectors, or dust collectors that are just inadequate to be servicing the school technology woodwork rooms.

From our experience, these inefficient dust extraction systems were installed many years ago, probably for the lowest tendered cost. With expanding numbers of machines and tools used in school woodwork rooms today, an older dust collection solution no longer provides acceptable extraction. With more focus on incorporating up to date technology in the woodwork classes, these teaching spaces are fitted with advanced tooling and machines including CNCs - a source of dust requiring specialist extraction that was not present years ago. 

Protecting Young Lungs and Air Quality

School/College age students are still growing, and their lungs are not yet fully developed, so any exposure to any amount of dust, has a greater potential harm compared to an adult. For woodwork teachers or staff in Technical Institutes, the continuous exposure to dust is as much of a health hazard as those working in the wood industry, especially with more and more MDF type products being used. Ultimately IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) is the responsibility of the individual schools but they must show they are compliant with MOE guidelines. A lot of emphasis is on CO2 levels, many still relying on opening windows. Exposure to dust in schools should be addressed.

In Oct.2022 the MOE published Guidelines for Air Quality, and Section 4.5 Technology Workshop Spaces, refers to the ATEX Equipment Directive 2014/34/EU.

NZDUCT regularly install a SuperSafe Dust Extractor for Schools all over NZ, which is the only dust extraction system that actually exceeds this MOE ATEX guideline. We are the only supplier who have a dust extraction system that is actually ATEX certified, as compared to those who claim to conform to this international safety standard.

Why Schools need Dust Extraction Systems

NZ Schools today

Over 90% of schools/Institutes of Technology have poor, incorrectly sized and inefficient dust extraction systems and don’t provide acceptable extraction for the increased number and technically advanced machinery now installed. The dust filter is often placed next to the Technology classrooms, under a roof overhang and often with only a glass window between the filter and pupils. This makes no sense and greatly increases the risk of potential harm should a dust explosion event occur! In many cases, the ducting might be adequate, but the dust extraction filter unit is too small, regularly blocks, and is badly designed for prolonged efficient sawdust extraction. Technology for dealing with dust has moved on in the last 50 years and our European supplier has industry leading features to keep you and your pupils safer.

Risks in Education Environments

Besides the fact that pupils are still developing so are at more risk to harmful dust exposure, MDF is often used and carries its own risks from formaldehyde VOCs.  

Cutting and milling MDF produces a lot of dust and fine particles so LEV and PPE must be in place as with all other dust producing operations. Suitable extraction equipment specified by a competent  technical sales person is critical. Lessons are not only safer, but a lot more enjoyable in a safe air environment and this affects learning outcomes as well as overall student well being, and is better for the teaching staff who are permanently in the environment - not just for the single lesson.

Old Inadequate Dust Collector Systems

Not only do old under sized dust extraction filters block, causing a fire hazard with dust settling in the ducting, they fail to adequately keep the learning spaces clear of dust, affecting finish to products,  harm student health and have no explosion protection. In the unlikely event of an explosion occurring, these offer no protection for pupils and staff in the vicinity - metal panels and nuts and bolts, balls of flame is an unacceptable risk in any work environment but even more so in schools. 

Regulatory Requirements

School Dust Extraction Challenges

Budget and Procurement Constraints

 State and Private funded schools have many more demands on the funds available than are able to be met. This means schools often delay improvements to dust extraction for woodworking classrooms until they completely fail, or, when they do get funding for capital expenditure, they, their builder, architect or a consulting engineer put the project out to tender and the cheapest quote is accepted. A fully compliant effective 21st Century dust collector need not cost any more than one stuck with 1970's technology offering no additional safety features, however, due to the amount of money spent on the project process, consulting engineers etc., the total costs escalate sometimes 100% more than the cost of the core funding required to install the dust solution: and the winners are often the HVAC companies and engineers who are not experts in dust extraction but have a wider knowledge of industrial scale air conditioning.  The process to apply for CAPEX is already lengthy but the additional stakeholders who become involved only lengthen the waiting time further. Many education institutions fail to realise that if the filter is sized correctly in the first place, the costs of any future maintenance will be minimal.

Multi Purpose Workshop  Requirements

Smaller schools may try to operate various material technology subjects in the same room: for example metal working and woodworking which have totally different extraction and filtration requirements. These types of installations require the project specification to be completed by someone fully competent in both these dust/fume issues. NZ Duct have products for both these scenarios and in many schools the filters sit side by side.

Space

Most schools do not have masses of additional space to site a new dust extraction filter system - student walkway access, playground square footage and carparking spaces will more often be a priority. Consequently our modern, 21stC technically advanced SuperSafe filters that can offer a small footprint are very popular.

 See the world's safest school Dust Collector system - for the same price as other less trustworthy ones! Our filters recommended for schools include our unique VFV™ (Vertical Flameless Venting).

These filters conform to ATEX Equipment Directive 2014/34/EU. This is a standard that cannot be met by adding on an ATEX approved door or explosion release valve to a last century metal box - NZ DUCT can provide a SuperSafe filter for schools where the entire design and complete product assembly is ATEX rated and Certified!  

Constructed in 3mm & 4mm galvanised Scandinavian steel, they are certified to exceed AS4745:2004 Code of Practice for handling combustible dust and NFPA 68 Standard on Explosion Protection by Deflagration Venting.

 We have completed installations in many schools throughout Australasia and our SuperSafe Filter for schools is the safest in NZ (and indeed the world!)

If you’re a Technology teacher constantly exposed to sawdust or evenly more importantly, are using MDF in the classroom, talk to us about making your lessons not only safer for you and your students but also a lot more enjoyable!

If you are teaching metal work, take a look at our Compact Fume filters, Down Draft Tables, Fume Arms and Mobile FumeCubes  or DustKARTS (Fume and Metal Dust filters