Starting on 17 June, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will be carrying out its latest construction inspection initiative, continuing to the focus on health.
In the latest Construction Infonet bulletin, the HSE have confirmed that they will be inspecting businesses and paying particular attention to what measures are in place to protect workers from occupational lung disease during common construction tasks, especially around –
- Asbestos
- Silica
- Wood dusts
Why this initiative?
Known as the “Slow Killers”, construction dusts remain a common concern that the HSE are keen to address. With an estimated 8,000 work related cancer deaths every year, the HSE estimate that 3,500 of these are from the Construction Industry, with Silica and Asbestos dusts considered major causes.
The HSE want construction businesses and workers to be aware of the risks associated with the activities they carry out on a daily basis and consider how this could affect their health and others.
What do you need to do?
If you undertake work activities where you generate dust, or may come into contact with harmful dusts such as asbestos, then we advise you use this as an opportunity to review how you control these hazards.
Some key areas to look at include –
- Are your workforce suitably trained to work safely and recognise the health effects of poorly controlled construction dusts?
- Do you have suitable safe systems of work for the activities you undertake and are they communicated to the workforce?
- Have you considered and implemented practicable dust suppression controls, such as water suppression for stone cutting or extraction for wood dusts?
- If you use Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) systems, are these maintained and suitable?
- Have you provided the right level of Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) and have your workforce been suitably face fit tested?
The HSE have confirmed that enforcement action will be taken where poor standards are found. You can learn more about the HSEs Fee For Intervention in one of our other news articles here
Keeping up to date with the Initiative
For more information on this Construction Inspection Initiative you can follow the campaign on Twitter at @H_S_E.
If you think you need some additional help with Health and Safety, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Orchard Compliance Solutions team on 0800 118 1674 or info@orchardcompliance.co.uk. You can find more information on our range of services here.
