Respiratory points for concern on site
Construction sites are dangerous places. There are hazards around every corner, so it’s vital that all contractors know how to work safely and without risk to their health. One health and safety concern on site is dust and respirable crystalline silica, which can cause breathing problems.
According to HSE, there is a high incidence of respiratory problems amongst construction workers with 100 workers dying each week from Occupational Disease. To reduce the risk, it’s important that workers have access to, and use, correctly-fitting respiratory protective equipment.
Hazards on site
Respiratory diseases can be caused by breathing in hazardous materials during a range of construction activities, such as block cutting, stonemasonry, demolition, chasing out mortar before repointing, tunnelling, and surface grinding. Dust and small particles can damage the lungs if breathed in. The most common diseases in construction are silicosis, lung cancer, asbestos-related diseases, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Respiratory problems prevalent amongst construction workers
Silicosis
Silicosis is a type of lung disease that can take years to develop. It’s irreversible, and caused by damage and inflammation of the lungs inflicted by fine particles of respirable crystalline silica (RCS). The symptoms of silicosis include breathing difficulties and a chronic cough. The disease can unfortunately be extremely disabling and reduce your lifespan. Exposure to high levels of RCS while cutting, blasting, drilling and grinding materials such as granite, sandstone, slate, brick and concrete can increase your risk of developing silicosis.
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the lungs and the lining around the lower digestive tract. It’s usually only contracted by people who have been exposed to asbestos, and by the time a diagnosis is made it’s almost always too late. This disease is fatal. Find out more about the stages of Mesothelioma.
Asbestos-related lung cancer
This type of lung cancer presents the same as lung cancer caused by smoking, but it’s brought on by asbestos exposure.
Asbestosis
Heavy exposure to asbestos over numerous years can scar your lungs, and cause shortness of breath that gets worse over time. In severe cases asbestosis can be fatal. Find out more about why Asbestos is dangerous.
Pleural thickening
This is when the lining of your lung thickens and swells up. It generally happens following heavy asbestos exposure. If the condition gets worse it can squeeze the lung and cause discomfort, and you may feel short of breath.
Occupational asthma
Occupational asthma can be brought on by an allergic reaction to substances such as wood dust. It can cause your airways to be in a hypersensitive state, which means that you can have an attack if exposed to triggering substances.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) occurs more often in construction workers than amongst the general population. COPD tends to be a progressive condition that is caused by inflammation of the lungs due to exposure to harmful dusts, fumes and gases at work. COPD can cause a chronic cough, sputum production and shortness of breath.
For more information on controlling risks from construction dust visit the HSE website.
Respiratory protective equipment (RPE)
If a risk assessment identifies that a worker’s health could be at risk from dust or RCS then it is necessary to provide respiratory protective equipment (RPE). However, it’s not a case of one size fits all. Everyone is different, and it’s vital that RPE fits correctly otherwise it won’t do the job it’s supposed to.
Most RPE requires a tight fit to prevent dirty air from being breathed in. All air should be drawn through the filter, but this won’t happen if there are leaks, which are often caused by poor fit. It’s vital to fit test all RPE to ensure that the equipment chosen is suitable for individual wearers.
Individuals should be given a choice of RPE to try, and then it’s up to employers to make sure that the make, model, type and size of face piece that was worn during the successful fit test is made available for their use. It’s vital that RPE fit testing is carried out by an appropriately trained, qualified and experienced person.
SAMS offer a face fit testing course where we can train your staff to carry out face fit testing on other members of your team. Contact us today so we can send you more information when it’s available.