Dust Kills: Controlling dust in construction

In this podcast, we discuss HSE’s Dust Kills construction campaign. Duncan Smith, Acting Head of Unit, Field Operations Division Health Unit at HSE and Abigail Bainbridge, Group Health, Safety & Environment, Director at Persimmon Homes, and Home Builders Federation H&S committee member, talk us through the risks of breathing in construction dust and what those working in construction need to know to ensure their respiratory health is protected at work.

For more information on the Dust Kills campaign, and to download our free resources for employers and workers, visit: Construction Dust - Work Right to keep Britain safe

 

Dust Kills construction campaign podcast transcript:

 

Mick Ord (Host): 

Every year in the construction industry, there are thousands of preventable cases of irreversible 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. Indeed, it's estimated that more than 500 construction workers die from exposure to silica dust every year.

 

And as we'll discover in this podcast, the amounts needed to cause this damage are not large. My name's Mick Ord, and welcome to the latest episode in our series of HSE podcasts designed to make us all better informed about health and safety at work, whether you are a business owner or a worker. So, whether you are part of a large, well-established company, a small business, or a new start-up, we hope you might learn some more about the dangers of exposure to construction dust and what you can do to reduce risk and perhaps most important of all to act now.

 

HSE inspectors will be visiting construction sites all over the country, checking that employers and workers know the risks involved in breathing in dust, and have the right plans in place, and are using the right controls to reduce the health risks of inhaling construction dusts, including silica and wood dust.

 

The inspections are being backed up by HSE's 'Dust Kills' campaign which offers accessible advice and guidance on the Work Right website, which we'll be mentioning again later, and putting a link in the episode notes accompanying this podcast. 

With me are two people who will be able to tell us some more about the health risks of inhaling dust in places such as building sites and workshops, and crucially, what can be done to significantly reduce those risks. HSE's Duncan Smith is a chartered occupational hygienist with more than 30 years of experience.

 

Duncan was a consultant in the private sector before joining HSE as a specialist inspector in 2010. He's currently the acting head of operations in the Field Operations Division Health Unit.

 

Abigail Bainbridge is the Group Health and Safety and Environment Director at one of the country's largest house builders Persimmon Homes. She's also a member of the Home Builders Federation and has a background in health and safety law. Welcome both. 

 

Duncan, if I can start with you first, how big is the problem of occupational lung disease in the UK?

 

Duncan Smith: 

Thanks, Mick. Across all industry sectors, there's an estimated 12,000 deaths each year due to previous exposures at work. This is a key priority for HSE to reduce work-related ill health. Of those 12,000 deaths, there's approximately 500 construction deaths each year due to past exposure to silica alone.

 

Mick Ord (Host): Those are really worrying numbers, aren't they? So, what specifically is HSE doing about this? 

 

 

Duncan Smith: As I said, this is a key priority for HSE, and every year we're actively inspecting the construction sector. We will go out and have health initiatives, and we have data for 2022 where there were two major health-focused initiatives including this particular respiratory health initiative.

 

HSE inspectors did something like 1,268 inspections during the respiratory health initiative, and the topic of control of silica exposure was considered by inspectors 512 times. They found that the best standards were seen at home build sites and the worst practices were at domestic refurbishment and street works inspections.

 

And then thinking specifically about respiratory sensitisers, this is where wood dust exposure is important. Respiratory sensitisers, where the substance may cause occupational asthma. Inspectors considered this particular topic 347 times, and again, poorer standards were noted compared to during previous initiatives, and domestic refurbishment was where the highest non-compliance was seen.

 

Mick Ord (Host): What are the key things that construction workers need to know then Duncan?

 

Duncan Smith: It is important that construction workers understand the hazards that they're working with. HSE has some very good information on their website, and the Dust Kills campaign gives a lot of really good information about this.

 

Thinking about the hazards in construction, silica dust is very frequently experienced. Even though silica is a naturally occurring substance, it is a hazardous substance when used at work, and we may not always be aware that we are using silica because it might be present in some construction materials such as brick or mortar or cement or paving slabs or tiles.

 

 The dust can be very fine when power tools are used, and it can get very dusty. If that very fine dust is breathed down deep into the lungs it can cause serious lung diseases such as lung cancer or silicosis or something called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These diseases are often irreversible and can cause permanent disability and early death.

 

The risk is often from exposure over a long period. You may not always notice symptoms for a long time, but each exposure to that dust adds up within the lungs and the airways can get progressively more and more damaged. Unfortunately, by the time you do notice you have a problem, the damage is done. The disease can also be made worse by smoking.

 

Silica is only a risk once it forms fine respirable dust. And by that we mean when it's so small, it can get down into the deep lung. The greater the level of dust in air, the higher the risk. High dust levels are caused by some of the following factors. High dust concentrations. Now, these could be caused by the use of power tools because of the motive, force, and power that they have in them generate lots and lots of dust.

For example, cut off saws, or power saws, grinders, wall chasers, and grip blasters. These can produce very high amounts of dust in air in a very short time. Similarly, dry sweeping using a sweeping brush can make lots of dust or raise lots of dust when compared to vacuuming or wet brushing. The location might be an important factor as well.

 

The more enclosed the space, the more the dust can build up, and it may not be diluted as it might be if it was outside. The longer the time dust is generated over, the more dust there will be, and if you spend a lot of time in that environment, the more dust you could potentially breathe into your deep lung.

 

And frequency as well. The more regular the exposure occurs, such as day after day, this increases the risk quite a lot. So, what you do need to do to protect yourself is to follow the hierarchy of control that is set out in the COSHH regulations –the control of substances hazardous to health– at a very high level.

 

That starts off at: can you eliminate the risk from the process? So, can you eliminate dust by effective design and planning of the process? If you can't do that, then you're going to need to minimise the risk by using suitable control measures. you should always ensure control measures identified are used properly, and that's going to require training and supervision of those that are using the control measures.

 

 

Mick Ord (Host): Thanks, Duncan. Abigail Bainbridge from Persimmon Homes within your company and through the Home Builders Federation network of businesses, what's being done to protect workers' respiratory health on site? 

 

Abigail Bainbridge: Thanks, Mick. Well, it's certainly in terms of persimmon and my home builder peers, we are really looking at a simple set of controls.

 

Firstly, we try where we can to eliminate the risk that can be getting the manufacturer to pre-cut materials, for example, bricks or wood. We also want to make sure we're using the right tool or method for the job. For example, using a block splitter rather than a saw to cut blocks, so it reduces the amount of dust that's created.

 

We also use, uh, water suppression to dampen down the dust, and even now you can get battery-powered dust suppressors. We also make sure that the right kind of vacuum is being used. We don't want those Henry Hoovers out there; we want a proper M-Class vacuum being used when cleaning up. One of the biggies for all of us is the use of FFP3 masks and ensuring that the user has been face fit tested and is clean shaven.

 

We all know that using an FFP3 mask whilst the person's wearing a beard or has stubble, is a bit like a scaffolder wearing a harness without clipping on. So that's one of the big areas that we all try and enforce. We also like to use local exhaust ventilation on certain equipment like chop saws, routers, and sanders.

 

So, Yeah, a multitude of measures, but all, all relatively simple ones that the large home builders like Persimmon can use, but also the smaller SMEs as well. 

 

Mick Ord (Host): You mentioned, uh, face masks there and I was fascinated when I looked at the HSE website one of the information sheets to see that people with stubble and beards really shouldn't be allowed to wear certain types of masks.

 

Abigail Bainbridge: Absolutely. Yeah, and it's a big problem for us, and I think across the whole industry as well. I think beards are quite trendy at the moment as well, which makes it difficult for us, especially when managing our contractors. So yeah, I think that's one of the biggest challenges for all of us, is trying to educate our contract workforce that just having a mask isn't enough. It needs to be face-fit tested. And if they are wearing a beard or have stubble, it's just not going to work. And I see that as being one of the biggest challenges in terms of operatives using the right equipment. 

 

Mick Ord (Host): There's a potential HR problem there, isn't there? If a worker refuses to wear one of the right masks because he's got stubble or he is wearing a beard, that is a knotty issue we can all recognise, can't we? 

 

Abigail Bainbridge: Absolutely. And as employers, we need to recognise that. And there is equipment like a full-face powered respirator out there. I, I think it's about engagement with your workforce on this topic. It's explaining to them why you are asking them to wear an FFP3 mask and talking to them about why then they don't want to be clean-shaven. And then if you know, if they're really insistent that that's what they don't want, then obviously as an employer you've got to look at other equipment that's available. But I think a first step is just having a dialogue with the worker. Because if you explain to them, look, this is for your own protection. If you don't wear this later on in life, you could be seriously ill. Many will understand and decide, yeah, I'll have a shave in the morning. But yes, it is a thorny topic and I think the one that really is a challenge for employers and contractors like Persimmon and others. 

 

Mick Ord (Host): Duncan back to you. You mentioned before designing out risk and control measures. Can you explain what that means and maybe give us some examples of that? 

 

Duncan Smith: Yeah, thanks, Mick. I think there's a few, a few examples I can think of. Particularly things like cutting blocks and paving and kerb stones. You can actually design and plan the work to limit the amounts of cuts that you need and working with your suppliers to make sure that you don't have to cut as many things as you perhaps might do. It is a change in approach, but you could also use lower energy equipment and Abigail referred to a block cutter or a block splitter. Using that rather than a power saw or cut-off saw, which would've been the traditional method, is a lot lower energy. And actually, they're relatively cheap to either buy or hire. They may also be savings in terms of speed. A block splitter might actually cut a larger block or, or paving slab quicker, and it will certainly produce a very much smaller amount of dust than, the high energy associated with a cut off saw, sometimes referred to as a power saw. There's an easy one that can have a significant reduction in terms of the amount of dust that's generated and silica within those blocks or paving or kerb stones.

 

Can you get material cut offsite? Can you set up a specific cutting area on your site where you've got extraction, where, uh, somebody is wearing, uh, relevant to respiratory protective equipment.? Uh, Abigail was given some good examples from what Persimmon Homes do, and I think there's some really good leads we can follow.

There were some good examples of how you control the risks. Well, water suppression, again, that's something that, uh, Abigail mentioned, but it's very easy to do. To use a relatively small amount of water that's added to the tool. For example, a typical 5-litre bottle of water, or 10-litre bottle of water with a pump mechanism delivering water at uh, 0.5 litres per minute onto a saw blade has a significant effect in terms of reducing the amount of dust generated.

 

During the cutting using power tools. You know, this is quite common to see o on, uh, roadworks and certainly curb stone and paving works. If you're driving out and about, uh, in your car, you, you'll often see that type of really low technology, low-cost control measures being used, but it's quite far up the hierarchy of control because it's quite reliable as long as you've got a supply of water that always works.

 

Similarly, lots of, uh, power tools these days. They're designed to take on tool extraction. This could be, uh, an H-Class or M-Class vacuum cleaner that attaches to the power tool, and it captures most of the dust that's generated. So, there's some really simple methods., other methods that could be used, you know, in terms of designing out the risk rather than just focusing on the control –cable chasing, for example, can you design and plan the layout of the job to limit the need for chasing cables into walls? Can you use methods that limit or eliminate chasing, such as overcovering cables, such as putting them into a plastic cover? So, there is lots of technology coming onto the market that, uh, allows us to, uh, design out risk and minimise the amount of dust that could be generated.

 

And I would urge companies to have a look at their supply chains and challenge and, you know, see what is available. Roof tile setting out, for example, on roofing projects, rather than making lots of, uh, cuts to tiles, some of the larger tile manufacturers are fabricating one and a half or half tiles to limit the number of cuts that need to be made and dry fixing methods as well may also eliminate or minimise the amount of cuts that need to be made, which again reduces the amount of dust that's generated. And can reduce exposure to workers on construction sites.

 

Mick Ord (Host): Excellent stuff. Thanks, Duncan. Abigail, in your view, what's the one thing that industry could do to reduce the numbers of people suffering from occupational lung disease? In terms of priority ideally. 

 

Abigail Bainbridge: I think it goes back to the basics of education and awareness.

We do need to tackle our younger generation of joiners, or bricklayers who are coming through to make sure that they're wearing the right protective measures. We do have a bit of a culture where, you know, the older generation aren't wearing the masks and we just don't want them to be leading the example to the younger generation.

 

So, I think it's about everyone understanding the serious consequence of being exposed to construction dust, everyone thinking about their older self and what impact that will have on them and their loved ones. So, making it clear what could happen. In some ways, we need to make this a bit like the perception of risk in terms of asbestos, which everyone knows is really serious and could kill you.

 

We really need to put construction dust on that same standing. And the workers on the ground actually appreciating why they're wearing this equipment and it is for, the good of their health at the end of the day. 

 

Mick Ord (Host): Yeah, you don't need to be able to see the dust particles to breathe them in, do you?  I mean, I learned from the HSE websites, many are a hundred times smaller than a grain of sand, aren't they, Duncan?

          

Duncan Smith: Yes, that's right Mick. It is cloud being generated, but it's usually the dust that we can't see that's going to do us the most harm in terms of getting down into the deep lung.

 

Mick Ord (Host): Duncan, as a final call to action for employees and employees, what would you prioritise for both?

 

Duncan Smith: You know, we really can't be complacent. We've got to act Now, don't assume it won't happen to you. And construction dust isn't just any old dust. There's some, uh, potentially real nasty substances, hazards to health within that which can cause life-shortening, or it can certainly aggravate existing conditions and it can even lead to death.

 

So, you know, we really must all play our part. Employers do have a look at the HSE Work Right website, the Dust Kills campaign, promotional material has some really good, uh, information on what you need to do. And employees, some of that I is going to be an absolutely right for you to look at as well, so that you know what controls to expect at the workplaces where you work and, uh, you know, raise concerns with your foreman, with your employer.

 

And, uh, if need be, you can even raise concerns with the health and safety executive regarding the work sites that you are working on. Jobs should be properly planned and properly controlled so that nobody is repeatedly, uh, exposed to high levels of construction dust. You know, the world has, uh, has moved on from where we were several decades ago and you know, it’s absolutely right that we focus on reducing risk in terms of construction dust and making sure everybody goes home safely and, uh, I would urge everyone l, all the listeners, to have look at, ‘Doug's story’ as part of the campaign. He is a retired construction worker suffering from COPD. It’s a very hard-hitting interview where Doug shows the devastating impact of the disease. Do have a look, do watch that, and think about the task you undertake on-site and ensure your health is being protected. 

 

Mick Ord (Host): Excellent. Thanks for that. Have you got anything you want to add to that, Abigail? 

 

Abigail Bainbridge: Just to fully agree with supporting the Dust Kills campaign.

So, myself and my home builders peers, you know, we really need to get this message out to everyone, not just tackling the large principal contractors, because it's not just the workers for large principal contractors that can be affected by this. 

 

Mick Ord (Host): A big thank you to Duncan Smith from HSE and Abigail Bainbridge from Persimmon.

Log on to HSE’s WorkRight Campaign website to view the dust kills pages and resources, and you'll find all the information and advice you need at your fingertips.

 

So, until next time, for me, Mick Ord, and the team, have a healthy and safe summer.

 

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