HSE focusing on site dust this month

This month HSE are focusing on respiratory risks and carrying out their latest construction health inspection with health and safety inspectors targeting construction sites across Great Britain.   As with previous health inspection initiatives, the focus will be on respiratory risks. COVID-security is a critical health risk and will also be covered by the initiative.   The areas that the HSE are likely to focus on are the use of the correct vacuums for reducing and cleaning up dust on sites and also the correct type of respiratory equipment and masks.

Construction dust is not just a nuisance; it is a real risk to your lungs.

Regularly breathing construction dust can cause diseases like lung cancer, asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and silicosis. Construction workers have a high risk of developing these diseases because many common construction tasks can create high dust levels.

These diseases cause permanent disability and early death. Over 500 construction workers are believed to die from exposure to silica dust every year.

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations says you must protect against the risks from hazardous construction dusts. Follow the 'Assess, Control and Review model'. You will find detailed information on these key areas below:

Construction Dust: CIS 36 (PDF)- Portable Document Format

Construction dust: Specific tasks

Our V-TUF range is certified and offers you AFFORDABLE compliance and protection from common dust related health issues

FixFirm don't want our customers to lose time and money by not being compliant on inspection so we are here to get your site safe and secure. As always we're only a phone call away and our friendly team are here to advise where appropriate. Give us a call on 0800 594 44 44.