The HSE will be sending out their Inspectors out to construction site across Great Britain for a month long campaign commencing on the 4th October 2021. They will be targeting the issue of construction dust (including silica, asbestos and wood), and looking at what the construction sector is doing at tackling the problem. Sites of all types and sizes, from domestic refurbishments to major commercial new builds will be visited to check that appropriate measures are in place to protect workers’ lung health from exposure to dust.
This is part of HSE’s longer term health and work strategy to improve health within the construction industry.
More than 3,500 builders die each year from cancers related to their work, with thousands more cases of ill-health and working days lost. HSE’s chief inspector of construction, Sarah Jardine, said; “Around 100 times as many workers die from diseases caused or made worse by their work than are actually killed in construction accidents”.
So what can you do to minimise dust? Here are a few suggestions;
- Design masonry walls so to minimise cutting of bricks and blocks, use specials at corners.
- Use on tool dust extraction to minimise dust from getting out into the atmosphere.
- Use a minimum of FP3 filtration for respiratory protective equipment and ensure you get face fit tested.
If you would like to know more about how Topaz Health & Safety can help designers and contractors combat construction dust, how to select the correct Respiratory Protective Equipment and Face Fit testing, then contact us.