In school workshops, students are introduced to hands-on learning environments where they craft, build, and innovate using materials like wood and metal. While these activities foster creativity and practical skills, they also present hidden dangers: airborne wood dust, welding fumes, and other particulate matter that can pose significant risks to respiratory health.

For young, developing lungs, exposure to these contaminants is particularly harmful. Schools need effective dust extraction and ventilation systems to protect their students, and comply with standards.At Egmont Air, we specialise in designing and installing customised solutions for schools, including dust and fume extraction systems tailored to their unique needs. Our work ensures safety, compliance, and peace of mind for educators and parents alike. 

With over 28 years of experience in dust and fume extraction, Egmont Air is a leading ‘Clean-Air-Consultant’ dedicated to helping schools with fume and dust control to comply with New Zealand and international safety standards such as ATEX directives, NFPA 664, and AS/NZS-60079 and MoE recommendations for air quality in student learning centres.

Understanding the Health Risks: The Invisible Dangers of Workshop Air

Wood Dust: A Silent Threat

Woodworking is a core activity in many school technology programs, but it produces a significant amount of fine dust. According to international safety standards like ATEX and NFPA 664, fine wood dust is classified as a respiratory hazard and even an explosion risk in certain conditions.

For students and staff, regular exposure to wood dust can lead to:

• Respiratory Irritation: Fine particles irritate the nose, throat, and lungs, potentially causing chronic coughing and discomfort.
• Allergic Reactions: Some types of wood, such as cedar, can trigger allergies or asthma attacks.
• Chronic Conditions: Prolonged exposure increases the risk of developing long-term respiratory diseases like occupational asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

For the safety of students and compliance, schools must have a workshop dust extraction system installed, by a certified installer.

The Welding Process and Toxins

In hard technology spaces that include metalwork, welding is another common activity. Welding fumes contain a mix of metal oxides, gases, and fine particles that can severely impact respiratory health. Therefore schools must adhere to welding fume extraction regulations. Welding fumes in the work environment can pose a variety of health risks to students and staff regularly exposed—some are immediate, such as electric shock or exposure to toxic fumes like cadmium, while others, including respiratory and lung conditions, may develop over time.

According to the Ministry of Education Welding stations, spray-painting booths, and gluing tables in technology spaces must be equipped with local, non-recirculating extraction hoods to efficiently capture fumes and safely exhaust them outside the building.

Why Young Lungs Are More Vulnerable

Children and teenagers are particularly susceptible to these dust and fume risks. Their lungs are still developing, and they breathe at a higher rate than adults, meaning they inhale more airborne particles per minute. Any exposure to fine dust or toxic fumes during these critical years can have a compounding effect, potentially causing irreversible damage.

The Critical Role of Ventilation and Extraction Systems

Given these risks, ventilation and dust extraction systems are essential tools for safeguarding health, and complying with regulations (more on how the Egmont Air team can support this below).

Meeting Compliance Standards Including Noise Control and Energy Efficiency

In New Zealand and Australia, schools must comply with stringent Ministry of Education (Min ED) and AS/NZS 60079 standards (many of which are informed by international standards such as ATEX), particularly for explosive atmospheres. Proper ventilation and extraction systems ensure schools not only meet these requirements but also provide peace of mind for educators, parents, and governing bodies. In addition to these concerns,  modern dust extractors and fume extractors are designed with additional features to suit school environments, including acoustic treatment, systems are engineered to operate quietly, minimising distractions in classrooms.As well as energy efficiency, with recycled air options, systems reduce energy consumption while maintaining clean air quality.

Tailored Solutions for School Workshops

Schools must have dust and fume extraction systems designed and installed by certified installers in order to reach compliance. At Egmont Air, we understand the unique needs of school workshops. With decades of experience and a family-run approach to business, we take pride in delivering solutions that balance safety, functionality, and compliance. 

1. Custom Designs for Every Workshop

No two school workshops are the same, which is why our solutions are fully customised. Whether it’s a small woodworking room, a large multi-functional space, or a workshop producing various types of dust, we design systems tailored to schools specific needs while optimising airflow and suction power with our dust extraction systems (NZ).

2. Downdraft Sanding Benches

Perfect for schools producing small articles, our downdraft sanding benches are:

• Compact and Flexible: Available in various sizes to suit different classrooms.
• Self-Contained: Integral fans and filtration units ensure clean, recycled air is returned to the room.
• Safe and Easy to Maintain: Students can work confidently without the risk of inhaling harmful dust.

3. Centralised Dust Extraction Systems

For schools with larger workshops or multiple workstations, our centralised dust collection systems are the gold standard of dust extraction system design:

• Scalable: Connect multiple sanding tables, welding booths, dust extraction hoods, fume hoods, extraction arms and other equipment to one centralised hub, and/or including mobile dust extraction systems or portable fume extractors.
• Externally Located: Keep dust, fumes, and noise outside the classroom for a cleaner, quieter environment.
• Energy Efficient: Advanced filtration systems recycle purified air, reducing operational costs and environmental impact.

4. Welding Fume Extraction

We provide a range of welding fume extraction (NZ) options to protect students in the work area from welding fumes, including:

• Backdraft Booths: Capture fumes directly behind the welding station.
• Portable Fume Extractors: Also known as mobile fume extractors, these flexible units that can be moved to different workstations as needed.
• Articulating Welding Arms: Capture fumes at source before they spread into the students breathing zone or throughout the learning area harming others.

Real-World Success: Schools Partnering with Egmont Air

CASE STUDY: FREYBURG HIGH SCHOOL

Overview
Schools are legally responsible for the health and safety of everyone attending the school grounds. Freyberg High School in Palmerston North faced concerns raised by WorkSafe about welding fumes and fine wood dust in their workshop areas. These pollutants posed health risks and compromised the learning environment for both students and staff. Determined to provide a safe and healthy facility, the school sought expert help to address indoor air quality challenges, and adhere to the MoE recommendations.

Solution
Our team conducted a detailed on-site assessment and developed a tailored approach to meet the school’s needs. We installed three key systems:

• Egmont Cartridge Dust Collector: Effectively captures toxic welding fumes, removing harmful particulates from breathing zones.
• Articulating Extraction Fume Arms: Offers flexibility and precision by extracting welding fumes directly at the source.
• FMM3 Wood Dust Extractor: A high-performance system designed to remove fine respiratory dust from sanding and machining processes.

By positioning these extraction systems close to the sources of fumes and dust, we were able to ensure that pollutants were efficiently captured before they could circulate within the workshop.

Result
Once installed, the new air extraction systems had an immediate positive impact. Freyberg High School reported a drastic reduction in airborne dust during sanding activities and a healthier overall environment. With additional capacity built into the system, the school now has the flexibility to expand its dust extraction capabilities as future needs arise. This solution not only satisfied WorkSafe requirements but also enhanced the comfort, safety, and learning experience for everyone in the workshop.

A Key Dust Extraction Solution For Schools: AtexJet Extractor

Egmont Air’s new AtexJet Extractor series of industrial fume extractors specifically are designed to meet the Ministry of Education (MoE) recommendations for Designing Schools in New Zealand (DSNZ), ensuring improved air quality and thermal comfort in learning environments. 

• Safe & Compliant: Built to handle combustible dust and explosive atmospheres, meeting strict ATEX and MoE guidelines.
• Targeted Extraction: Centralised systems capture and remove wood dust, welding fumes, solvents, and paint fumes at the source.
• Tailored for Education: Ensures minimum suction levels, clean-air discharge, and vertical explosion venting—ideal for technology workshops, woodwork machinery, and hard-tech areas.
• Expert Support: Backed by Egmont Air’s track record of designing and installing compliant dust extraction solutions in schools nationwide.

Let Egmont Air Protect Your Students

Creating a safe and healthy learning environment for students isn’t just about meeting regulations—it’s about giving them the best possible start in life. At Egmont Air, we’re passionate about helping schools achieve this goal through expertly designed dust extraction and ventilation systems.

Whether you need downdraft sanding benches, centralised extraction hubs, or welding fume control, we have the experience and expertise to deliver the perfect solution for your workshop. Contact Richard, Cameron or Todd today to discuss your school’s needs and discover how we can help protect the respiratory health of your students.