Dust Exposure – Are you Safe?

Dust inhalation at work causes an estimated 12,000 deaths in the UK every year. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently launched its #Dustbuster campaign to raise awareness of the devastating effects of this underestimated killer.

If you work in an industry where this is part of the job – as a bricklayer, carpenter, baker or cleaner, to name just some of the roles that might be affected – it’s vitally important to understand the dangers. Your employer needs to take every step possible to prevent dust exposure causing you health problems.

Who’s at Risk of Dust Exposure?

Lots of industries produce some form of dust as a by-product of their work.

Workers who cut metal, stone or wood are at risk of breathing in the resulting dust, causing respiratory problems down the line. When this is repeated daily for many years, the cumulative effects can be devastating and cause lifelong health issues, and even some forms of cancer. Silica, a mineral found in construction materials as well as some types of clay and stone, can get into the lungs via the cutting, sanding or polishing of these materials. It can cause lung issues like COPD and silicosis. In terms of the damage it can lead to, it’s second only to the risks of asbestos. People who work with high-risk materials like these should be aware of the dangers.

Most kinds of dusts can be hazardous if they’re breathed in, swallowed or allowed direct contact with the skin. Flour dust, for example, can cause asthma, so bakers and other kitchen workers should take account of this and the relevant control measures.

Protecting Staff from Dust Exposure

Likely sources of dust exposure should be foreseen wherever possible and minimised. A risk assessment is a good place to start.

The best control measures remove the hazard entirely, perhaps by substituting the material in question for a replacement that doesn’t produce the harmful dust. If that’s not possible, contact between the workers and the dust should be minimised by changes to processes and equipment. For example, if dust is thrown into the air when people clean up at the end of the day, consider using a vacuum to reduce this risk.

All working areas should be well-ventilated. If personal protective equipment could help by stopping people breathing in harmful dust, this must be provided by the employer.

All employees should be well-trained in hazardous substances and any work tasks they’re expected to perform, taking the hazard of dust exposure into account.

Asbestos in the News – and the Importance of Risk Assessments

Asbestos in the News – and the Importance of Risk Assessments

A school in Aberdeen was recently criticised for their poor response to the discovery of asbestos in their building.

What could have been done differently? And how could the school have handled the asbestos incident more effectively?

Asbestos in the school building

During work to move a doorway, an apprentice joiner removed a board using a hammer and chisel, but suspected the material contained asbestos, and alerted his supervisor. While the board was wrapped in plastic, and the in-situ board covered over, no action was taken to deal with contamination of the area or to protect people on site.

In fact, 25 people were allowed into the school after the incident. It was only after the risk control team was notified that the correct action was taken. The Unite union’s Tommy Campbell described the procedures put in place as “woeful”.

Thousands of tonnes of asbestos still in place

While asbestos use has been outlawed since 2000, it was widely used as a fire-retardant building material for decades. This versatile material comes in many forms, which is why it remains so prevalent in schools, offices, factories and warehouses – on walls, floors, ceilings and external surfaces.

Forms of asbestos include:

  • Lagging
  • Insulating boards
  • Limpet (sprayed asbestos)
  • Coatings
  • Liquid
  • Cement

Asbestos was used in such a wide range of materials that it may be safer to assume that it is included in a material, unless you have evidence that it does not.

The dangers of asbestos

Breathing asbestos fibres can lead to serious diseases which can take many years to develop. In many cases, once a disease is diagnosed, it is too late to treat the condition.

Asbestos fibres can cause:

  • Asbestosis
  • Mesothelioma
  • Pleural thickening
  • Asbestos-related lung cancer

Your duty to manage asbestos

You have a duty to protect your employees and visitors, whether you own or rent a building. Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, you have a duty to:

  • Take reasonable steps to identify any materials containing asbestos
  • Presume that materials contain asbestos unless you have evidence that they do not
  • Keep records of the location and condition of asbestos-containing materials
  • Assess the risk of people being exposed to asbestos fibres
  • Create and implement a plan for managing asbestos risks
  • Review and update your asbestos risk plan
  • Notify people who work on, or disturb, asbestos materials in your workplace.

Asbestos awareness training

The Control of Asbestos Regulations make it clear that employers have a duty to raise awareness of asbestos risks. Without this awareness, employees and visitors can be put at risk.

Delivering regular awareness training can be costly and time-consuming. That’s why we created eLearning programmes to cover asbestos awareness, and other key health and safety topics, such as risk assessments and working safely. Our eLearning courses can be delivered on your premises, and the content can be tailored to your organisation, or you can choose off-the-shelf solutions.

Inadequate Demolition Survey Leads to Asbestos Fine

Two companies were recently fined for failing to properly manage their duties relating to the disposal of asbestos. A property management firm and an asbestos surveying company were fined a total of £13,200 because they conducted an inadequate demolition survey prior to a major construction project.

Home Inspectors Southern Limited failed to identify asbestos cement and asbestos insulating board containing Chrysotile and Amosite asbestos. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) uncovered that the surveyor had no training in asbestos surveying, or any previous work experience with a qualified contractor. Home Inspectors Southern also incorrectly claimed that a non-licensed contractor could be used to remove some of the asbestos materials.

Vital Property Solutions Limited, who managed the project, failed to check that Home Inspectors Southern had the required skills, training and experience to manage the asbestos survey.

Both companies pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which places general duties on employers and the self-employed to conduct business in such a way that others are not exposed to risks.

Home Inspectors Southern was fined £8400 and Vital Property Solutions was fined £4800. The HSE inspector, speaking after the hearing, commented, “Asbestos surveyors have a duty of care to those persons who use the information they provide. The survey missed a significant amount of asbestos contaminated materials (ACMs) thus increasing the risk to workers, who would be disturbing the fabric of the buildings during the refurbishment/demolition project.

“The risk arises from workers unknowingly working on ACM, and not taking effective precautions to prevent exposure and spread of asbestos fibres. Where surveyors fall well short of the standard then HSE will take robust action.”

Health and safety training from VinciWorks

A common element in cases of health and safety breaches is a lack of training – whether it’s never provided or just not refreshed frequently enough. It’s clear that having a system for delivering essential health and safety training is vital for organisations that want to keep their employees, stakeholders and visitors safe at work.

That’s precisely what we offer at VinciWorks. Our training is virtual, so it can be delivered quickly and affordably whenever it’s required. Without the usual overheads associated with hiring venues, travelling to learning centres and catering for trainers and delegates, your essential learning becomes more sustainable. And because learning records are online, you can easily prove that mandatory training was provided.

Asbestos awareness key for all businesses

Exposure to asbestos is the single highest cause of work-related deaths in the UK. Commonly used in buildings between the 1950s and the 1990s for insulation and fire-proofing, asbestos fibres can be fatal if inhaled.

It’s for this reason that every business has responsibilities under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 to protect employees from the risk of contact with asbestos.

In the last week a construction company was fined £50,000 and an unlicensed builder received a jail term for exposing workers to asbestos.

As well as risking fines and prison sentences, any business failing to adhere to the regulations may lead to serious illness and death.

If your employees, or any employees or contractors that they supervise, are liable to be exposed to asbestos then they must be given adequate information, instruction and training to reduce the risk of asbestos.

Our Asbestos Management eLearning course is designed to meet this need, and is available on-demand for staff who are liable to be exposed to asbestos, and their supervisors.