OCCUPATIONALHEALTHRISKS

Themainhealthrisksinconstructionare:
musculoskeletaldisorders:backandothermuscleandjointinjuries;
handarmvibrationsyndrome:painandnumbnessinthefingersand
handscausedbytheuseofvibratingtools;
dermatitis:rednessandinflammationoftheskinrelatedtoexposure
tohazardoussubstancessuchascementsandsolvents;
noiseinducedhearingloss:deafnessorringingintheearscausedby
exposuretohighlevelsofnoise;
asbestosrelateddiseases.

Vibration

Someofthetoolsusedinconstructionthatarelikelytoresultinhigh
levelsofexposuretovibrationare:
roadandconcretebreakingdrills;
concretepokers,platevibrators,compactor;
chisels(airorelectric);
compressorguns;
grinders,abrasivewheels.

Thevibrationfromsuchequipmentcancausehandarmvibration
syndrome(HAVS).
Thisconditionaffectsthefingers,handsandarmsand,inthelongterm,
causespermanentdamage.
Eventuallypartsofthefingersgowhiteandnumbandthereisalossof
touch.Thisconditionisoftencalledvibrationwhitefinger.

Itisgoodpracticeforworkerstokeeptheirhandswarmtogetagoodflow
ofbloodintothefingersby:
wearinggloves;
havinghotfoodordrinks;
massagingthefingers;
notsmoking(asthiscancausenarrowingofthebloodvessels).

Noise

Noiseonconstructionsitesusuallycomesfrom
machineryusedfordemolition,
excavationorpilingand
fromcompressorsandconcretemixersetc.
Otheroperations,suchashammering,rivetingandtheuseofcartridge
operatedfixingtools,mayalsobethesourceofexcessivenoise.

Regularexposuretohighnoiselevelscausesdeafnessortinnitus(a
permanentsensationofnoiseandringingintheears) thelongerthe
exposureandthehigherthenoiselevel,thegreaterthedegreeofhearing
loss.
Itmayonlybewhendamagecausedbyexposuretonoiseovertheyears
combineswithnormalhearinglossduetoageingthatpeoplerealisehow
deaftheyhavebecome.Thishearinglossisincurableanddistressing.

Noiseexposurelimit

Rule ofthumb:
Canthepersonusingtheequipmenttalktosomeone2maway
withouthavingtoshouttobeunderstood?Iftheyhavetoshout,the
noisefromtheequipmentisprobablyloudenoughtodamagetheir
hearing,soactionwillhavetobetaken.

(Max.durationperday)[OSHA,
1926.52TableD2]

Ifsoundlevelexceedsthe
limit

Noiseexposurelimitofdifferentlevel

Noiseequivalentfactor

1.0

periodofnoiseexposureatanyconstantlevel
:durationofpermissiblenoiseexposure
Example:Anemployeeisexposedattheselevelsfortheseperiods
110dBA hr
100dBA hr
90dBA 1.5hr
/
/

Since

0.938

1,theexposureiswithinpermissiblelimits.

Dermatitis

Inthecourseoftheirwork,constructionworkersmaycomeintocontactwith
manyskinirritants.Themostcommontypesinclude:
cement,limeandplaster;
paint;
bitumen;
solvents,thinnersanddegreasers;
certainepoxy,acrylicandformaldehyderesins;
mineraloilsandgrease.

Dermatitis

Dermatitisisaninflammatoryskinconditioncausedbycertainirritants
containedinmanyindustrialmaterials.Therearetwogeneraltypes:
irritantdermatitis:usuallycausedbytheskincomingintocontactwith
anirritantsubstance.
sensitising dermatitis:whereapersondevelopsanallergicreactionto
asubstance.Thereactionmayfollowweeks,monthsorevenyearsof
usewithoutanyilleffectsbutonceithasoccurred,anyfuture
exposuretothesubstancewillproduceanadversereaction.

Actiontaken
PPE:glove.Usersmustavoidgettingcontaminantsinsidethegloveswhen
puttingthemonandtakingthemoff
washingfacilities,withasupplyofhotandcold(orwarm)runningwater,soap
andameansofdryingthehands,tohelppreventdermatitis.

Asbestos

Asbestoscementroofsheeting

Asbestoscementboard

AsbestosFireproofing

Althoughitisnowillegaltouseasbestosintheconstructionor
refurbishmentofanypremises,manythousandsoftonnes ofitwereused
inthepastandmuchofitisstillinplace.Aslongasitisingoodcondition
andisnotbeingorgoingtobedisturbedordamagedthereisnegligible
risk.Butifitisdisturbedordamaged,itcanbecomeadangertohealth,
becauseasbestosfibres arereleasedintotheairandpeoplemaybreathe
themin.
Anyonewhoseworkinvolvesdrilling,sawingorcuttingintothefabricof
premisescouldpotentiallybeatrisk.Theymayallbreatheinasbestos
fibres duringtheirdaytodaywork.

Asbestos

Breathinginaircontainingasbestosfibres canleadtoasbestosrelated
diseases,mainlycancersofthelungsandchestlining.
Asbestosisonlyarisktohealthifasbestosfibres arereleasedintothe
airandbreathedin.
Pastexposuretoasbestoscurrentlykillsaround4000peopleayearin
GreatBritain.Thisnumberisexpectedtogoonrisingatleastuntil
2016.Thereisnocureforasbestosrelateddiseases.