Dust kills – the Health & Safety Executive’s new ‘blitz on dust’

For far too long, workers and employers alike have viewed dust on construction sites as an unavoidable occupational hazard – and a few decades ago that was a fairly reasonable position to take, given that the damage was invisible (at least until it was too late) and the technology barely existed to protect people. Where it did exist, its implementation was voluntary and patchy to say the least.

Of course, the entire industry is far more safety-conscious these days. But when it comes to the dangers of dust, we’re clearly not doing enough. The Health & Safety Executive’s current ‘DUST KILLS’ campaign doesn’t pull any punches:

DUST IS A SILENT AND SOMETIMES INVISIBLE KILLER

• Dust particles can be 100 times smaller than a grain of sand. You don’t need to see them to breathe them in. Once in your lungs, dust will start causing damage. 

• Exposure to dust can lead to severe breathing difficulties and lung diseases that can ruin lives and cause an early death.

• It can take years before the damage is visible and by then it can be too late. Make sure you are aware of the risks and work in ways that always protect your lung health.

Perhaps the most disturbing element in the message is the fact that we’re talking about particles 100 times smaller than a grain of sand. This is not a threat we can see and avoid. It can be deadly, and it can be invisible. So, any initiative that raises awareness of the damage silica, wood and other kinds of dust exposure can do to workers’ and visitors’ lung health and the vital importance of effective and rigorously implemented control measures is to be welcomed.

Be warned though! The HSE is backing up the campaign communication with “boots on the ground” in the form of unannounced and targeted site inspections. These are already well under way, having begun on Monday 15th May and you can expect a visit from an HSE inspector at any time right up until Friday 14th July.

If you’re not sure that your organisation has the right protective measures in place (and probably even if you are!), there’s plenty of helpful advice on safe working and dust control on the campaign website: workright.campaign.gov.uk/campaigns/construction-dust.