HSE to Carry Out Inspections at Construction Sites Throughout June 2022
June 2022
The Dust Kills campaign has been created by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to raise vital awareness of respiratory risks and occupational lung disease within the construction industry.
Unfortunately, every year within the construction industry, there are thousands of preventable cases of ill health caused by lung disease due to past exposure to dust at work. These diseases often have a life-changing impact and can result in an early death.
Did you know that Dust particles can be 100 times smaller than a grain of sand?
Just because you can’t always see dust particles it doesn’t stop you breathing them in. Once inside your lungs the dust can start to cause damage. It can take years before the damage becomes visible and by that time sadly it can be too late.
HSE’s chief inspector of construction, Sarah Jardine, said: “Occupational lung disease is preventable. It can have a devastating impact on both the individuals affected and their family. Every year, construction workers are dying from diseases caused or made worse by their work. We are urging employers and workers to take the necessary precautions today to protect their long-term lung health.”
Inspectors will be checking the control measures in place to protect workers from inhaling construction dust including Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) and wood dust.
“As an experienced Asbestos Surveyor, I am all too familiar with seeing sites where the necessary precautions do not appear to have been taken to protect construction workers and those around them to the dangers of dust.
It is not just dust that can have devastating consequences on a person’s health later on in life. Exposure to Asbestos fibres is also dangerous as they are small enough to pass into the lungs. They are barbarous and are resistant to the normal defence processes taking place in the human body, so they remain in the lung, often entering the lining. Over time this can cause lung diseases such as Mesothelioma, Asbestos Related Lung Cancer, Asbestosis and Pleural Thickening.
It is imperative that when undertaking a refurbishment or a demolition of a building that the appropriate survey is undertaken to protect the contractors and occupants from the dangers of asbestos“
For more information on the programme of inspections visit the Work Right campaign website https://workright.campaign.gov.uk/campaigns/construction-dust/
How can Qube Environmental assist you?
As independent and impartial Asbestos compliance experts, we can provide detailed information and impartial advice for your site. We can assist with services such as:
- Asbestos Management Surveys
- Refurbishment Surveys
- Demolition Surveys
- Asbestos Sampling
We can also assist with Legionella services such as, Legionella risk Assessments, Water Testing, Routine Monitoring, Tank Cleaning, TMV Servicing and more.
We are proud certified members of the Legionella Control Association, Alcumus SafeContractor Approved and Gold SafePQQ verified. We are also ISO 9001 & ISO 14001 certified for the services we offer.
Contact Us
If you would like to chat anything through or would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact our friendly team of experts. You can call us on 0808 1080 766 or email hello@qube-uk.co.uk
Legionella & Asbestos Services
Asbestos & Legionella Services April 2023See How Qube Have Provided Peace of Mind Since 2012Edgetech & Qube Environmental Partnership We can hardly believe that we began working together with Edgetech more than a decade ago. Beginning with our Asbestos...
5 Things You Should Know About Legionella
Legionella Introductory Q&A January 2023Legionella is often popping up in the news, unfortunately by the time many people hear the word “Legionella” it is for the wrong reasons.You may have seen headlines hitting the news before where unfortunately a person or a...