Dustcontrol UK Dust to Dust Campaign

Workplace exposure to airborne dust remains one of the most persistent yet under-acknowledged threats to worker health across numerous industrial sectors. In the UK alone, approximately 12,000 occupational lung disease-related deaths occur every year, with thousands more suffering from conditions such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), silicosis and non-asbestos related lung cancer. Despite widespread awareness of asbestos and other highly publicised risks, many forms of dust – including respirable crystalline silica and wood dust – continue to be underestimated by both employers and workers alike.

Dustcontrol UK, a specialist in on-tool dust extraction and ambient air cleaning solutions, asked us to develop a campaign that would help shift perceptions. The brief was straightforward: communicate the dangers of dust exposure in a way that would resonate across a wide cross-section of sectors – including construction, manufacturing, joinery and stonemasonry – while driving meaningful engagement with Dustcontrol’s solutions.

The starting point was to quantify the long-term consequences of dust exposure in relatable terms. By collaborating with academic advisors and drawing from HSE guidance, we developed a formula to estimate how much respirable dust a typical worker in a high-exposure role might inhale over a 40-year career. The findings were stark.

A worker without adequate extraction measures could inhale over 1.28 pints of respirable dust – or 0.68 pints of respirable crystalline silica – during their working life. The average person may never contemplate this, but when presented with the image of a pint glass filled with dust, the abstract becomes tangible.

This idea formed the basis of the Dust to Dust campaign. It aimed to not only raise awareness of a hidden health hazard, but to also position Dustcontrol UK as a thought leader and technical authority in dust control. Crucially, it was designed to communicate to a B2B audience in sectors that often deprioritise preventative safety messaging unless presented with a clear and credible threat.

The strength of the Dust to Dust campaign lay in its ability to take a niche industrial issue and present it in a compelling and visually arresting way. At its core was a striking photo series staged in a traditional pub setting. Construction workers were pictured sitting down with a pint of dust rather than the usual post-shift drink – a visual metaphor for the insidious, cumulative nature of respirable dust exposure.

This creative concept was supported by a structured campaign. A launch press release outlined the concept, the calculations behind the figures and the health risks associated with long-term dust inhalation. The piece was scientifically grounded yet accessible, offering trade journalists a unique angle on a frequently covered topic. A supporting blog post broke down the calculations behind the imagery, enhancing the credibility of the claims and ensuring transparency.

Alongside, we also developed social reels and shareable social graphics to extend reach across all of Dustcontrol’s social and digital platforms. These assets translated the complex science into clear, digestible content, suitable for use by Dustcontrol UK’s sales and marketing teams, as well as media outlets.

Media targeting was tightly focused on B2B publications within the construction, health and safety, and engineering sectors. We approached editors with both the press release and exclusive commentary from Dustcontrol UK, offering sector-specific angles tailored to each publication’s audience. We also leveraged our trade relationships to secure in-depth feature coverage in Process & Control, a key industry journal.

To maximise impact beyond the traditional press office function, we adapted campaign visuals for use on LinkedIn and other social platforms. This allowed the client to reach industry decision-makers directly and created opportunities for meaningful conversations within the professional community.

The campaign delivered robust results across multiple channels, with particularly strong performance in traditional trade media. Over the course of the campaign, we secured coverage in dozens of publications including Specifier Review, Construction Update, Industrial Compliance, Installer, Home Designer & Architect, and Process & Control. These placements generated a combined estimated reach of 569,342. A particular highlight saw one of the images feature as Construction Management magazine’s best images of December.

The campaign marked Dustcontrol UK’s most extensive media exposure in more than a decade. Several of the placements included direct links to the client’s website, bolstering SEO through high-quality backlinks. In the fortnight following the campaign launch, the company recorded an 84% increase in website traffic, which rose from an average of 1,000 UVPM to 1,800+ with the “Dust to Dust” landing page becoming the most visited page on site after the homepage.

Social media engagement was also significantly boosted. The pint of dust visual, when shared via Dustcontrol UK’s LinkedIn channel, outperformed all previous posts in terms of impressions, shares and comments. The conversation it triggered – particularly among health and safety officers and operations managers – was indicative of the campaign’s ability to shift awareness within a specialist audience.

Most importantly, the campaign generated measurable commercial interest. Dustcontrol UK received enquiries from two major UK construction firms within a fortnight of publication, referencing the campaign directly. These firms hadn’t previously engaged with Dustcontrol and represented significant new business opportunities.

The Dust to Dust campaign achieved its objectives through a clear strategy, in-depth research and impactful creative. It tackled a difficult subject with sensitivity and scientific integrity, but without compromising on visual or emotional appeal. By reframing an often-ignored occupational hazard through a human lens, it reached new audiences and drove meaningful engagement with Dustcontrol UK’s offering.

This was a B2B campaign that delivered on every front. It reached the right publications, resonated with decision-makers and produced demonstrable business results. It did not rely on gimmicks or inflated metrics, but instead combined credibility, creativity and clarity in a way that is rare in the industrial safety sector.

It’s often said that health and safety messaging falls on deaf ears unless tragedy strikes. Dust to Dust sought to break that cycle, making the threat visible before the damage was done. It compelled audiences to take action not through alarmism, but by making the unseen seen. It’s for this reason we believe it stands out as a best-in-class example of B2B public relations in practice.