The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has strongly criticised the failure to prevent life-threatening diseases linked to dust exposure at work. As a response, the HSE is preparing to target construction sites across Great Britain this summer.
The HSE’s Dust Kills campaign, which provides complimentary advice to businesses and workers about necessary control measures to prevent dust exposure, supports the inspections. These summer inspections will emphasise the respiratory hazards associated with dust exposure.
The inspections, part of an initiative focusing on respiratory health, will scrutinise dust control measures, ensuring that employers and workers understand the risks, plan their work, and implement the appropriate controls. They will examine the measures implemented to shield workers from inhaling construction dusts, including silica and wood dust, and will also ensure that asbestos-containing materials are properly managed or removed to mitigate exposure.
Michael Thomas, HSE’s chief inspector of construction, expressed his concern: “It’s distressing to witness construction workers dying each year from diseases exacerbated by their work. It’s inexcusable in the modern age when we have the means to prevent occupational lung disease.”
Thomas urged both employers and workers to take precautions now to safeguard their long-term lung health and avoid the catastrophic consequences that could arise.
The Dust Kills campaign supports this initiative by offering straightforward advice on the Work Right website, aimed at employers, small builders, and workers, to help everyone grasp the risks and maintain their health on-site.
