Health and Safety Executive

Health and Safety Executive

Common failings in managing

construction health risks and how to

put them right

Lucy McDonnell

Health Risk Management Unit

HSE Construction Division

What I’ll do…..

• What’s the problem ?..........

• What inspection priorities are HSE taking

forward….

• What’s next ????

Together, we can make a difference

Background

• HSE Chief Inspector :

“ We recognise the construction sector’s progress in reducing the number of people killed and injured by its activities. But it is clear from these figures why there is an unacceptable toll of ill-health and fatal disease in the industry. We will make sure the construction industry thinks health, as well as safety. “

Accident v Ill Health Fatals

Occupational Cancer:

THE biggest risk to construction workers

What’s the problem … ?

Burden of occupational cancer

Lesley Rushton et al

Imperial College

London:

http://www.nature.com/

bjc/journal/v107/n1s/index.html

Where’s the problem ? – in construction

• Asbestos

• Solar radiation

• Silica

• Painters

• Diesel engine exhaust emissions

• PAHs – Coal tars / pitches

What’s causing the problem ?

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

Asb

estos

DEE

Lead

PAH

's

Painters

Silic

a

Solar R

adiatio

n

Woo

d du

st

Other

Nu

mb

ers

aff

ecte

d

Total Registrations

Construction Registrations

Construction Deaths

Where’s the problem in construction –

Not all fatal diseases, but…

• Lifting and Carrying

– Handling is most common over 7-

day injury in the industry.

– Skilled construction and building

trades have one the highest

estimated rates of back and upper

limb disorders

• Noise and Vibration

– Industry has one of the largest

number of new disablement benefit

claims cases.

HSE Inspection initiatives

• ‘Health initiative’

• Refurbishment initiative

– What are we looking at…..

– What aren’t we looking at…..

•

HSE inspection initiatives

• 2014 -15 Health initiative

– 2 week focus on health interventions

– Monday June 23- 4 July

– 500 inspections

– Operational guidance detailing enforcement

expectations issued on leading health risk

issues

HSE inspection initiatives

• Focus on :

– Respiratory risks from silica / dusts

– (other) Hazardous substances

– Manual handling

– Noise

– Vibration

• Whilst maintaining push on :

– Asbestos risks

– Welfare

HSE plan of work

Thereafter, have been focusing a

consolidated effort on :

HSE plan of work

• Silica

HSE plan of work

• Other hazardous substances

HSE plan of work

• Manual handling

HSE plan of work

• Noise and vibration

HSE plan of work

• Welfare

HSE plan of work

• Asbestos

Is there still a problem ?

2014 Health initiative ??:

• 570 site visits

• 13 Prohibition Notices

• 108 Improvement Notices

• 267 Notices of Contravention

2014 Health initiative

Is there still a problem ?

2014 refurbishment initiative:

• Commonest health issues :

– Dust – 12%

– Welfare – 12%

– Asbestos – 10%

• Health related enforcement action carried out:

– 46 PNs were served out of a total of 314

– 92 INs were served out of a total of 221

2014 (Health in ) Refurbishment

Inspection Initiative - Enforcement

• Asbestos : PNs 24, INs 24

• Dust : PNs 21, INs 31

• Manual handling : PN 1

• Welfare : 33 Ins

• Vibration : 3 Ins

• Noise : 1 IN

2014 Health Initiative

• 13 Prohibition Notices;

• 108 Improvement Notices

• 267 Notices of Contravention issued at 146 sites

Notices of Contravention

Dust

Welfare

MSD

Vibration

Other Substances

Noise

Improvement Notices

Dust

Welfare

MSD

Vibration

Other Substances

Noise

Other (Management)

2014 Refurbishment Initiative

• Health and Safety Inspection of smaller refurb sites:

– 537 Notices (including 2 ELCI)

– 314 PNs (including 46 on health)

– 221 INs (including 92 on health)

52% 46%

2%

Prohibition Notices

Asbestos Dust Manual Handling

26%

34%

1%

3%

36%

Improvement Notices

Asbestos Dust Noise Vibration Welfare

2014 Health Inspection Initiatives -

Conclusions : dusts

• Most significant enforcement area but

still an improving picture:

• Contractors starting to look more at

removing risk or improving available

controls.

• Risk awareness amongst larger

contractors is generally high but let down

by application.

2014 Health Inspection Initiatives

- Conclusions : dusts

• Focus has moved on from silica to include other dusts.

• Much greater appreciation / use of extraction systems

but not always to the correct standard and dry

sweeping remains an issue.

• Reliance on RPE

2014 Health Inspection Initiative

- Conclusions : other substances

Fewer mentions. Most related to:

• Asbestos: missing surveys and

instruction / training.

• Lead: Roofing and old paint

• Dichloromethane / Solvents: e.g.

as a carpet adhesive.

• Dermatitis: Rendering, cement etc.

• Isocyanate products: Manually

applied rather than sprayed.

2014 Health Inspection Initiatives -

Conclusions : noise and vibration

• General focus on management

arrangements than specific

controls

• Sites placing a lot of reliance

on monitoring / recording

vibration trigger time

• Reliance on hearing protection

for noise

2014 Health Inspection Initiative

- Conclusions : manual handling

• Broader discussions covering both management

arrangements and specific controls

• Earlier work on kerbs and paving seems embedded.

• More evidence of good practice References made to MAC

tool, lifting solutions and designing out.

2014 Health Inspection Initiatives

- Conclusions : manual handling

• There were some recurring problems:

– Heavy Plasterboard

– Heavy glazing / installation problems

What to do .….?

Occupational Risks v Lifestyle Issues

What to do …..?

Surveillance/Monitoring? Risk Control?

What to do …..?

• ‘Control the risk not the symptoms’

– Monitoring and health surveillance are not enough

on their own. The first priority is to stop people

being harmed

• ‘Manage risk, not lifestyle’

– Helping workers tackle lifestyle issues may be

beneficial but is not a substitute for preventing work-

related ill health.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/healthrisks/index.htm

HSE website guidance :

How healthy is your business?

CONIAC occupational health guidance

IOSH : campaign on occupational cancer

IOSH - No time to lose ….

• 50+ work-related carcinogens – focusing on :

–Diesel engine exhaust

–Solar radiation

–Silica

–Shiftwork

–Asbestos

IOSH - No time to lose …. www.notimetolose.org.uk

What’s next ?

Think Health!

– Greater focus on health, not just by HSE…

Thank you for listening

any questions ? Lucy McDonnell

Visiting Officer

Health Risk Management Unit

Construction Division

HSE

0117 988 6016

lucy.mcdonnell@hse.gsi.gov.uk