Mike Slater

There were 42 fatal injuries to workers in Construction in 2013/14

Source: HSE

But that’s only part of the storyConstruction workers are also exposed to hazards at work that can affect their health

Over 500 workers believed to die from exposure to silica dust every year in the UK construction industry

Source: HSE

Crystalline Silica

A major constituent of almost all types of rock, sands and clays

Respirable Crystalline Silica

Very fine particles of crystalline silica dust can reach the deepest regions of the lung

Respirable Crystalline Silica

Respirable crystalline silica can cause serious lung diseases

Respirable Crystalline Silica

Silicosis

Lung cancer

Silicosis

Scar tissue forms in the lungs

Silicosis

Seriously affects the ability to breathe, affecting quality of life

Silicosis

Sufferers usually become house or bed-bound and often die prematurely due to heart failure.

Respirable Crystalline Silica

The second most common cause of occupational lung cancer in Great Britain

0 1000 2000 3000 4000

Other agents

Working as painter

Shift work

Mineral oils

Diesel exhaust emissions

Silica

Asbestos

Occupational cancer deaths by cause in Great Britain, 2005

Source: HSE Research Report rr800

0 1000 2000 3000 4000

Other agents

Working as painter

Shift work

Mineral oils

Diesel exhaust emissions

Silica

Asbestos

Occupational cancer deaths by cause in Great Britain, 2005

Source: HSE Research Report rr800

About 800 deaths every year

Respirable Crystalline Silica

There is also some evidence for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

COPD

Image source: British Lung Foundation

Workplace Exposure Limit

The UK WEL for respirable crystalline silica is 0.1 mg/m3

But this is not a “safe” limit

Risk of silicosis

0

5

10

15

20

25

0 0.04 0.08 0.12 0.16 0.2 0.24 0.28

Exposure to Air Concentration of RCS for 15 Years

mg.m-3

Perc

enta

ge R

isk o

f S

ilic

osi

s

Aft

er

15 Y

ears

Work

Source: HSE

Risk of silicosis

0

5

10

15

20

25

0 0.04 0.08 0.12 0.16 0.2 0.24 0.28

Exposure to Air Concentration of RCS for 15 Years

mg.m-3

Perc

enta

ge R

isk o

f S

ilic

osi

s

Aft

er

15 Y

ears

Work

Source: HSE

Risk of silicosis

0

5

10

15

20

25

0 0.04 0.08 0.12 0.16 0.2 0.24 0.28

Exposure to Air Concentration of RCS for 15 Years

mg.m-3

Perc

enta

ge R

isk o

f S

ilic

osi

s

Aft

er

15 Y

ears

Work

Source: HSE

2.5% risk of silicosis after exposure to 0.1

mg/m3 respirable dust for only 15 years

Silicosis

30 years exposure at 0.1 mg/m3 might lead to a lifetime silicosis risk of about 25%, whereas reduction of the exposure to 0.05 mg/m3 might reduce the risk to fewer than 5% (Hnizdo and Sluis-Cremer 1993).

What are the levels of exposure experienced by construction workers ?

Unfortunately there are no comprehensive studies for the UK

but there are for some comparable countries:

Drilling concrete

Range0.01 to 1.36 mg/m3

97% > 0.075mg/m3

Range0.01 to 0.91 mg/m3

71% > 0.075mg/m3

Demolition

Range0.01 to 0.8 mg/m3

92% > 0.075mg/m3

Pointing

S. M. RAPPAPORT et al. Ann Occup Hyg 2003;47:111-122

©2003 by Oxford University Press

Approximately 69% of subjects performing concrete grinding were overexposed to respirable crystalline silica dust.

Material and task Range 8-h TWA, mg m−3

Sandstone <0.02b–6.00

Cutting angle grinderc 0.26–1.30

Cutting water-cooled primary saw <0.02–0.13

Grinding angle grinderd <0.02–6.00

Decoration hand and pneumatic chisel <0.02–0.07

Limestone <0.02–0.03

Cutting angle grinderc <0.02

Grinding angle grinderd <0.02

Decoration hand and pneumatic chisel <0.02–0.03

Lime mortar <0.02–0.06

Repointing <0.02–0.06

Granite <0.02–0.21

Cutting water-cooled primary saw <0.02–0.03

Grinding angle grinderd <0.02–0.21

Material and task Range 8-h TWA, mg m−3

Sandstone <0.02b–6.00

Cutting angle grinderc 0.26–1.30

Cutting water-cooled primary saw <0.02–0.13

Grinding angle grinderd <0.02–6.00

Decoration hand and pneumatic chisel <0.02–0.07

Limestone <0.02–0.03

Cutting angle grinderc <0.02

Grinding angle grinderd <0.02

Decoration hand and pneumatic chisel <0.02–0.03

Lime mortar <0.02–0.06

Repointing <0.02–0.06

Granite <0.02–0.21

Cutting water-cooled primary saw <0.02–0.03

Grinding angle grinderd <0.02–0.21

8 hour TWA exposures (Geometric means)

Task based exposures (Geometric means)

What can we do to reduce the risks to

health?

WellbeingHealth

SurveillanceRisk Prevention

& Control

WellbeingHealth

Surveillance

WellbeingHealth

SurveillanceToo often, prevention and

control of exposure is the

missing link

WellbeingHealth

SurveillanceRisk Prevention

& Control

Effective prevention and control of exposure is the key to minimising the risks to health

Some typical control measures that can be used

Here the worker and others in the vicinity can be exposed to high levels of dust

Exposure can be reduced using water

Or on-tool extraction

A secondary water flow provided a fan-shaped water curtain sprayed normal to the path of the

ejected stone dust.

Jared H. Cooper et al. Ann Occup Hyg 2015;59:122-126

© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational

Hygiene Society.

Or both

For advice on risks to health in construction and how to control them visit:

www.breathefreely.org.uk

Join us and be part of the solution

www.breathefreely.org.uk

http://www.slideshare.net/mikeslater

http://diamondenv.wordpress.com

Twitter @diamondenv

Mike Slater

Mike Slater, Diamond Environmental Ltd.

This presentation is distributed under the Creative CommonsAttribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

UK:International Licence