DUST: It s a KILLER. Where there is a risk of exposure to DUST or FUMES to its employees, the employer must control or minimise these risks

Transcription

1 DUST: The Dangers!

2 DUST: It s a KILLER Standard site activities such as grinding, cutting or heating of materials all have the potential to create hazardous dust and fumes Where there is a risk of exposure to DUST or FUMES to its employees, the employer must control or minimise these risks Failure to do so could result in the employee developing a range of life changing illnesses, which could include bronchial problems, skin conditions and potentially cancer Around 13,000 deaths each year from occupational lung disease and cancer are estimated to have been caused by past exposure, primarily to chemicals and dust at work

3 COSSH The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 requires a risk assessment to be completed and updated at regular intervals by the employer Hazardous substances include: Respirable Crystalline Silica or RCS Inhalable or Respirable Wood dust: Hardwood Softwood MDF Inhalable or Respirable low toxicity dusts: Portland Cement Gypsum Pulverised fuel ash

4 SILICA DUST 500+ silica related deaths in 2004 over 10 a week Silica is the second most important cause of occupational lung cancer after asbestos Construction workers 2-3 times greater risk of COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) Other research backs up link between construction work and lung disease

5 SOURCES OF DUST Cutting, sanding and grinding of some materials Welding and glass cutting may create harmful fumes Heating metals such as lead will create harmful fumes Working with old lead can expose you to lead oxide dust Burning off old lead-based paints Stripping out work which involves fibrous insulation such asbestos or fibre glass Dust produced during cleaning i.e. sand-blasting Environmental or background dusts i.e. combustion of fuels, sweeping of floors A majority of on site tasks produce dust and fumes

6 SILICA VOLUMES

7 RISKS FROM BREATHING DUST Silica dust from cutting, scabbling concrete can cause lung cancer Dust from cutting or sanding hard wood can cause nasal cancer Asbestos dust can cause cancer of the lungs or lining of the chest cavity Welding fumes can result in metal fume fever which has flu like symptoms Breathing in fumes from solvents and paint can lead to nausea, drowsiness and headaches These are just some examples of what could happen when you are exposed to dust

8 CONTROL MEASURES Replacement or substitution should always be considered first i.e. toxic for non toxic materials Suppression by using a wet process as opposed to a dry process, which may be sufficient to reduce the dust hazard The supply and maintenance of PPE: Respiratory protection Caps Gloves Clothing Goggles PPE should always be used alongside rather than as an alternative to other measures On tool dust extraction to physically extract the dust from the atmosphere Cleaning and housekeeping should be maintained to a high standard where workers are exposed to a dusty process

9 CHOOSING THE RIGHT EXTRACTION UNIT Choose an M or H class unit. (M = Medium / H = High. Medium is the minimum standard required) These are marked with a special warning label. (Note: an L class unit is only suitable for low toxicity dusts like gypsum) Make sure the unit can cope with the amount of dust the work will create. Lots of fine dust can quickly clog filters. Choose units with pre-filters, built-in back-flushing filter cleaning mechanisms or similar devices. Think how regularly the unit will need emptying. Check the waste capacity is big enough.

10 BENEFITS Improved productivity due to Less downtime for cleaning the workplace No tool blockages Better view of the work piece throughout duration of cut Improved life for accessories (e.g. cutting disks) Less fatigue for worker through better air quality Improved overall quality of work Healthier worker Cleaner construction sites SAFER CONSTRUCTION SITE FOR ALL

11 REMEMBER. If its on you, you ll take it home All children want their parents to come home every night

12 Questions?