Two in three manufacturing businesses revealed to have failed regulator’s metalworking fluid safety inspections
London, December 17 2024 – A freedom of information request submitted by TotalEnergies Marketing UK Ltd to the UK government’s independent workplace safety regulator has revealed widespread non-compliance relating to metalworking fluid (MWF) use.
TotalEnergies is committed to ensuring the highest standards of safety and quality in all its products, continuously striving to create a safer and healthier work environment for everyone. So, TotalEnergies Marketing UK Ltd was eager to understand the challenges facing businesses around Metalworking fluid (MWF) safety after a statement by the UK government’s independent workplace safety regulator earlier this year revealed widespread non-compliance in relation to the use of metalworking fluid.
A total of 285 unannounced inspections were carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on manufacturing businesses that use MWF or coolants in their machining processes between September 2023 and April 2024. They identified significant safety breaches relating to MWF at 181 sites, equivalent to around 64% of all inspections.
The HSE data also showed:
- 30% of inspections reported that workers were not aware of MWF risks
- 45% of sites had not undertaken dipslide tests to check MWF quality
- 45% of sites recorded MWF concentration and pH in sumps that were outside of the supplier’s recommended range
- 65% of sites with CNC machines had not fitted local exhaust ventilation
- 70% of sites did not conduct respiratory or skin health surveillance
- 43% of sites did not have adequate controls to prevent skin and inhalation risks
The inspections were undertaken as part of the HSE’s campaign to investigate how employers are protecting their workers from MWF exposure risks, as required by law. In January 2024, the regulator said that more needed to be done to keep workers safe after “more than half” of businesses had failed inspections so far.
Direct contact with MWF can cause skin damage while inhaling the mist generated by machinery has been linked to lung disease. Control measures recommended by the HSE and lubricant industry body UKLA include regular fluid quality checks, health surveillance and installing suitable ventilation.
TotalEnergies works with customers, alongside its network of suppliers and distributors, to educate the metalworking industry on MWF best practice. To this end, it also develops, and brings to market, products with reduced toxicity and strong safety credentials. This includes the water-based, pictogram-free metalworking fluid Folia.
Songul Facey, Technical Sales Manager - Lubricants Division, TotalEnergies Marketing UK commented:
“Anyone concerned about MWF safety should know that quality is key. At TotalEnergies, we are committed to educating that whoever is using our products is doing so responsibly. While the HSE inspections have revealed some worrying statistics, there are some practical measures businesses can implement to enhance workplace safety, and it can start with using cleaner, high-quality fluids.
We recommend that any business wanting to bring their workplace MWF safety measures up to scratch should first look at the products they are using. A good rule of thumb is to select MWF products that don’t come with pictograms warning of health and safety hazards on the barrel.
Poor-quality fluids can impact the performance of a machine, but they can also have adverse health effects for machine operators. That’s why TotalEnergies has developed state-of-the-art MWF products to specifically address the safety concerns of our customers.
HSE’s MWF safety campaign has no doubt come as a wake-up call for metalworking businesses. The data revealed from these inspections serves as an important reminder to take employee wellbeing seriously and to think very carefully about the products to which they are regularly exposed.”
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About TotalEnergies Marketing UK Limited
With a focus on continual innovation in support of the TotalEnergies climate ambition, TotalEnergies Marketing UK Limited manufactures and sells lubricant, bitumen, solvent and fuel products and services, and develops solutions to support the transition of its customers to more sustainable energies, operations and mobility.
The division operates through five primary business units - Automotive Lubricants, Industrial Lubricants, Bitumen, Special Fluids and Aviation Fuels - partnering with customers across the automotive, transport, infrastructure, construction, industrial and manufacturing sectors.
TotalEnergies Marketing UK Limited, which is the UK division of the global TotalEnergies Marketing & Services operation, employs more than 200 people across its UK sites and offices, including its lubricants plant in Ferrybridge, West Yorkshire, and dedicated bitumen plant in Preston, Lancashire.
About TotalEnergies
TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, cleaner, more reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people.
TotalEnergies Contacts
TotalEnergies Marketing UK Limited: Media Relations: Infinite Global | 020 7269 1430 | [email protected]
Corporate Media Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 99 l [email protected] l @TotalEnergiesPR Investor Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 46 l [email protected]
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