This week sees the beginning of a two-week drive by HSE construction inspectors making unannounced visits across the country, focusing on ill health on construction sites.
HSE Challenges Sites to ‘Think Health’
Poor working conditions likely to lead to ill health on building sites will be targeted. Inspectors will be looking in particular at
- respiratory risks from dusts including silica materials;
- exposure to other hazardous substances such as cement and lead paint;
- manual handling,
- noise and vibration.
For every fatal accident in the construction industry, it is estimated that a worker is at least 100 times more likely to die from a disease caused or made worse by their work.
Inspectors will be looking at respiratory risks from dusts including silica materials usually caused by cutting tiles in the roofing industry; exposure to other hazardous substances such as cement and lead paint; manual handling, noise and vibration.
In 2012/13, 39 construction workers were killed. However, more than 500 deaths a year are due to silica exposure alone.
Read the full story at: Roofing Today
