Construction Dust

Regular exposure to construction dust can cause life changing
lung diseases and in serious cases, can even cause death.

When working around areas that may have construction dust,
it is vital that employees are aware of the risks and use the control measures
available to them.

The main dust related diseases affecting workers are:

• Lung Cancer
• Silicosis
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Asthma

Diseases arising from dust can often take a long time to
become evident, with the dust building up in the lungs and causing harm over the
years. By the time damage is usually noticed, it is usually serious and life
threatening. This could result in a permeant disability and early death.

It is an employer’s responsibility to take into consideration
“The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002", that cover
activities that may expose workers to construction dust, following a three-step
guideline.

• Assess (The Risks)
• Control (The Risks
• Review (The Controls)