We see it all too often on building sites. Clouds of dust being generated and breathed in, allowing many potential diseases to strike.
Taking shortfalls in dust suppression today, could mean potentially taking shortfalls on your life span. Why would you take the risk?
There are many engineering controls which could be used to minimise exposure to dust. Water suppression, vacuum attachments, LEV etc.
The decision to not implement any of these controls will not only land you with fines from the HSE but you are rolling the dice with your life.
500 people die from exposure dust every year. Don’t become another statistic.
Blog written by
Dean Oliver CMIOSH
www.oliverhealthandsafety.co.uk
‘Regularly breathing construction dust can cause diseases like lung cancer[6], asthma[7], Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)[8] and silicosis[9]. Construction workers have a high risk of developing these diseases because many common construction tasks[10] can create high dust levels.
These diseases cause permanent disability and early death. Over 500 construction workers are believed to die from exposure to silica dust[11] every year.’ – HSE.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/healthrisks/hazardous-substances/construction-dust.htm