Safety inspectors are launching a three-month campaign this summer to tackle the threat of dust on construction sites.

Targeted visits by HSE inspectors will start next month and run through until July.

Each year in the construction industry, there are thousands of preventable cases of irreversible lung disease due to past exposure to dust at work.

HSE’s chief inspector of construction, Michael Thomas, said: “Every year we see construction workers die from diseases caused or made worse by their work. This is unacceptable in the 21st century, when occupational lung disease is preventable.

“We are urging employers and workers to take the necessary precautions today to protect their long-term lung health, to avoid them and their families suffering from the devastating impact that can result.”

Inspections will specifically focus on dust control, checking employers and workers know the risks, plan their work, and are using the right controls.

Inspectors will be checking the control measures in place to protect workers from inhaling construction dusts including silica (Respirable Crystalline Silica/RCS) and wood dust. They will also gain assurances that asbestos containing materials have been identified and removed or managed where necessary to prevent or reduce exposure.

Thomas added: “Our inspectors will visit a range of construction sites to check businesses are taking the necessary action to ensure their workers’ long-term respiratory health is being protected.

“Through engaging with those on site, we can make sure they have considered the job from start to finish, have considered the risks at each stage, and are managing the risks with effective measures in line with the broad hierarchy of control options such as water suppression, extraction, and as a last resort Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE).”

Comment: High exposure to dust can be mitigated or designed out during the planning stages of a project. Mist cannons, dust collectors or local exhaust ventilation systems are in place for work which creates dust. Face masks, fitted with a suitable filter for the work and face fitted for the individual operative are the last line of defence. Consideration must be made for the workforce, which areas they'll be working in, the atmosphere and the task, and to safeguard those involved adequately.

Source: Construction Enquirer