It’s time to think health and safety and in particular, the time for the construction industry to ‘think health’ is long overdue. The long term effects of breathing in harmful substances can have devastating consequences to health and lifestyle. Especially, when the harm has come from just going to work and doing your job, it’s all the more difficult to accept.
After all those years of hard graft, just when you think you might be able relax and put your feet up, you’re hit by one of the most debilitating work related illnesses. A number of construction activities can cause respiratory disease. These include:
Cutting kerbstones or stonemasonry, scabbling and surface grinding, tunnelling, crushing demolition material, clearing and removing rubble, chasing out mortar before repointing and laying epoxy floors and carpentry.
The risks of workers becoming ill have become more apparent and evident in recent years as cases of asbestosis and COPD started to be reported. Because they are what I call ‘slow-release’ deseases, workers often don’t realise that they are at risk.
That’s why all work activities must be assessed for risk of harm and controls put in place to reduce the risk of harm or injury or ill-health. Some industries also put health screening in place so that their workers health is regularly monitored and early detection action can take place.
The fact remains though that many company bosses in the construction industry simply turn a blind eye to the risks. A recent taskforce sent out by the HSE to construction sites confirms this. Their findings are shocking as this report reveals. Time for the construction industry to ‘Think Health’.
If you don’t protect yourself and your workers now, then there are illnesses that you might develop in later life.
Silicosis
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Don’t delay! Protect yourself and your workforce from harm with the right procedures and make sure that they are followed. It’s not enough to say ‘do it this way’, if you are supervising workers, then you have to make sure that they are working safely.
Michelle Hay Training can help you to keep your workforce safe and avoid the risks of ill-health and injury. Whether it’s risk assessments, policy and procedures or training the workforce in health and safety, I can help.
Call now on 0161 298 1040 to discuss your health and safety needs. Don’t wait for the health and safety officer to visit, it could be a costly delay.
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