HSE FOCUS ON RESPIRATORY RISKS IN OCTOBER
HSE inspectors will focus on the Health & Safety standards targeting Construction firms in a month-long inspection initiative which will start on Monday 4th October 2021.
The HSE’s focus for October will be on respiratory risks. The purpose of this month-long focus is because it is part of the HSE’s longer term health and work strategy to improve health within the construction industry.
The article below will tell you all about the HSE’s focus and it’s purpose, what inspectors will be looking out for, The HSE WorkRight Campaign and finally some words from Sarah Jardine (HSE Chief Inspector) on the month-long initiative.
The information from this article has been taken form the ‘HSE’ website.
About the HSE’s focus
The inspections undertaken in October will focus on respiratory risks and occupational lung disease. The HSE will be looking at the control measures businesses have in place to protect their workers. Certain factors will be looked at such as how do businesses project their workers lungs from construction dust including silica, asbestos, and wood dust.
Although the focus will be on health during this programme of inspections, if an inspector identifies any other areas of concern, including immediate safety risks, they will take the necessary action to deal with them.
What is the purpose of the focus?
Findings from the site visits undertaken and the surveys completed will allow the industry to contribute into the HSE’s broader commitment to improve the health of construction workers by providing the HSE with a wider database to evaluate ongoing practices across the industry.
What will the inspectors be looking for?
Inspectors will be looking for evidence of employers and workers knowing the risks, planning their work, and using the right controls. During the visit if needed the HSE will use enforcement to make sure people are protected.
The HSE will be supported by the Health in Construction Leadership Group and Tier 1 industry contractors. HCLG members will carry out more than 1,000 site visits in October 2021. During the visits they will assess the effectiveness of measures in place to control workers exposure to respiratory risks from dust.
Findings from the site visits undertaken and the surveys completed will allow the industry to contribute into the HSE’s broader commitment to improve the health of construction workers by providing the HSE with a wider database to evaluate ongoing practices across the industry.
HSE WorkRight Campaign
The HSE currently have a campaign running named ‘WorkRight’. This campaign is aimed at influencing employer behavior by encouraging builders to download free guidance and advice which should result in increasing knowledge and capability to protect workers’ health.
Shockingly, more than 3,500 builders die each year from cancers related to their work, with thousands more cases of ill-health and working days lost.
HSE Chief Inspector – Sarah Jardine
The HSE Chief inspector of construction, Sarah Jardine, said: “Around 100 times as many workers die from diseases caused or made worse by their work than are actually killed in construction accidents.
“Our inspection initiatives ensure that inspectors are able to speak to duty holders and visit sites to look at the kind of action businesses in the construction industry are taking right now to protect their workers’ health, particularly when it comes to exposure to dust and damage to lungs. These are mature health challenges that the industry ought to be managing effectively.
“There are a few simple things that everyone can do to make sure they are protecting their health and their future. Be aware of the risks associated with activities you do every day, recognise the dangers of hazardous dust and consider how it can affect your health. We want businesses and their workers to think of the job from start to finish and avoid creating dust by working in different ways to keep dust down and wear the right protective equipment.”
Want to find out more?
For more information on the HSE’s programme of inspections, click on the link below which will take you to the WorkRight campaign.
https://workright.campaign.gov.uk/campaigns/construction-dust/