Talk by Frances Bailey HM Construction Inspector to MCSA on 11th dec 2013

1. Health and Safety
Health and Safety
Executive
Executive
Management of Health Risks
in Construction
Frances Bailey
Construction Inspector
HSE Nottingham

2. Managing Health Risks in Construction
Aim of this session:
• Raise awareness of occupational health risks
• Focus on construction dust
• Outline control measures
• Explain HSE priorities
• Signpost further information

3. So… safety….
Vs.

4. Deaths from ill-health

5. Construction Division Workplan
Aim to treat health like safety:
•
Target Directors, Managers, CDM Coordinators,
PCs and Contractors
Focus on most common health risks:
•
Respiratory risks, manual handling, noise, vibration
& skin exposure
•
Proper welfare provision as a control measure

6. Construction Division Workplan
•
Respiratory risk a top 5 HSE Inspection Topic
•
Others are:
– Work at Height
– Welfare
– Good Order
– Asbestos

7. Construction Division Workplan
This years HSE visit priorities include:
•
•
•
•
Asbestos
Construction dust
Other respiratory risk
Valley tile cutting

8. “It’s only dust you know!”

9. How can it harm me?
Airways:
– Inhalable
– Respirable
•
Different dusts affect the
airways in different ways

10. How can it harm me?
Construction dust can cause serious lung diseases:
•
•
•
•
•
Lung Cancer
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Pneumoconiosis (including silicosis)
Asthma: Occupational and Work Aggravated
Reduced lung function

11. How can it harm me?
•
Over 50% of new cancer case are in construction workers

12. How can it harm me?
•
•
•
Few develop quickly – acute silicosis
•
By the time you notice it may be too late to do
anything about it
Most take a long time – years
Regularly breathing small amounts adds up over
the years
> Important to control every single exposure

13. How can it harm me?
Statistics are imprecise:
•
•
500+ silica related deaths in 2004 – 10 a week
•
Construction workers 2-3 times greater risk of
COPD
•
Other research backs up link between construction
work and lung disease
•
Reduced quality of life and shorter working life
Silica is the second most important cause of
occupational lung cancer after asbestos

14. How Much is a Problem?

15. How much dust is a problem?
•
Depends upon
– Amount of dust
– Size of the dust particles
– Type of dust

17. How Much is a Problem?
COSHH sets WEL for dust:
General Dust
•
•
10 mg.m-3 (inhalable)
4 mg.m-3 (respirable)
Respirable Silica
•
0.1 mg.m-3 (8-hour TWA)

18. How much dust is a problem?

19. Silica High Risk Tasks
• Some Tasks ALWAYS produce very high levels:
– Cut-off saws
– Grinders
– Chasers
– Grit Blasting

20. Control Duty
Re 7(1) COSHH requires:
•
Prevent exposure to employees where
reasonably practicable:
– Overriding duty
– Do this by substitution
– Eliminates or reduces risk
– Links in with designer duty under CDM

21. Control Duty
•
•
Employer duty
•
•
•
First duty to prevent exposure
•
Control proportionate to the risks
Principal Contractor will have a role in certain
circumstances
Otherwise adequately control
RPE is an additional back up measure / not an
alternative unless not reasonably practicable

22. Elimination
•
•
Work Processes
Design out dusty process

23. Control at Source
• Water Suppression

24. Control at Source
• On-Tool Extraction

25. Hilti DRS improves customer productivity
Tool
Lifetime
Inhalable Dust
[mg/m3]
up
to
-9
9%
no DRS
o
pt
u
%
60
+
no DRS
[mg/m 3]
to
-9
9%
no DRS
Worker
Protection
up
up
0
+2
to
%
no DRS
Cleaning
Effort
Consumable
Lifetime*
Respirable Dust
up
Application Speed
0%
+2
to
no DRS
Longer
Lifetime
up
to
–
15
kg
/h
no DRS
Labour Time
Savings
Results may differ based on operator technique, specific application, and tool/accessory condition. The need for additional measures must be evaluated by the responsible health
and safety personnel on site.

26. RPE
•
•
Controls are not 100% effective
RPE is still needed for high risk tasks
– Silica
– Wood
– High levels of low toxicity dust
Face fit testing will be required

27. FFP3 - Disposable
Manufacturer product no.
European
Standard
Class of
Respirator:
FFP3
Conformity mark & Notified Body

28. Facial hair - stubble
One day stubble
Few days stubble
Face mask
Face mask
stubble
Wearer’s
face
Short hairs act like stilts and
hold the mask away from the face
Wearer’s
face
Longer hairs tend to lay
flatter than short hair

29. Worker Involvement
•
•
Training is key
Engagement http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/lwit/index.htm

30. Health and Safety
Executive
RPE – Employee Toolbox talk
•
Health and Safety Executive

31. So why don't you?
•
•
•
•
“I don’t think I need it”
•
•
•
•
“I get too hot and uncomfortable”
“It’s only a quick job”
“My mate never wears it and is never ill”
“I don’t like having to shave every day”
“I can't breathe properly”
“It makes it awkward to work”
“It interferes with my other PPE”

32. How do I fit my mask correctly?
For Filtering Facepiece FFP Disposable mask)
•
•
Clean shaven at start of shift
Always check the fit before every use:
–
–
–
•
Fit around the nose – adjust nose clip where applicable
Fit around the chin
The position of straps
Carry out a “fit-check”
(Images – probable changes of images to match leaflet in cartoon format accounting for diversity)

33. COSHH General
•
Main duty on those that ‘control and own risk’
– Likely to be subcontractor
•
PC will have responsibility in some circumstances:
– Co-ordination over water provision
– ‘Person in control’
– Plan, manage and monitor construction phase
– under CDM Not COSHH
•
Where a PC has appointed a competent contractor,
they are not required to undertake detailed supervision

34. Dust: Enforcement
Increasing levels of enforcement:
•
•
•
•
•
•
13 Notices in 2008 – 2009
c.100 Notices issued in 2009 – 2010
c.100 notices issued again in 2010 -11
Continued WWT promotion
Growing industry awareness
SME’s remain a challenge

35. Enforcement for dust
Typical enforcement action:
•
PN for dry grit blasting, may prosecute if
using sand
•
•
•
•
PN for dry cutting, no water available
IN for face fit testing
IN for COSHH assessment dust
IN for training/competence

36. Construction Dust Partnership

37. Summary
•
•
•
•
•
•
Treat Health like Safety
Construction dust; wood, silica etc
Cancer, silicosis, COPD, asthma
You have a duty to control exposure
Regulations, guidance, advice
HSE will take enforcement action

38. Further information
•
•
•
•
•
•
HSE website
New COSHH ACOP (6th edition)
Silica sheet CIS36
Dust control on cut off saws CIS54
Using cut off saws Indg461
Industry guidance tile cutting

39. Silicosis video
•
•
•
Not a new hazard
•
Isn’t it about time we sorted this out in the
21st Century?
Not a new illness
Not new control measures

40. Fee For Intervention
•
Duty holder leaflet

41. Fee For Intervention
•
•
•
•
•
•
Introduced 1st October 2012
FFI to be reviewed one year on
Legacy work no fee
Certain Regs no fee eg Fire
Material Breach triggers fee
NoC Notification of Contravention

42. Fee For Intervention
•
•
•
•
•
Site and office time charged until resolved
Invoices – every 2 months
FFI queries handled centrally
Investigations may trigger FFI
Multi Duty Holders and FFI – who pays?

43. Fee For Intervention
To avoid a large fee:
•
•
•
Good compliance in the first place
And/or promptly rectify matters
Cooperate and communicate with HSE

44. Thank you & Merry Christmas