Health
Healthand
andSafety
Safety
Executive
Executive
Encouraging improvement in the
management of health risks in the
construction industry
Ian Strudley
Head of Health Risk Management Unit
HSE Construction Sector
Anything new ?
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
One death is too many – inquiry …….
Recommendation 20.
•
While this was outside the scope of the
Inquiry, Occupational Health remains a
serious problem in the construction
industry with thousands of workers dying
every year. I recommend that renewed
efforts should be made to tackle this
issue.
To introduce the paper :
•
What’s the problem ?.......... then :
•
What HSE are doing….
– CONIAC Health Risks Working Group
– Supply chain work
– Research
– COHME
– Key Health risk activities
What’s the problem - Safety…..
•
2009-10 42 workers killed at work in
construction ( total 152)
•
2008-9 53 workers killed at work in
construction ( total 180)
•
2007-8 72 workers killed at work in
construction ( total 233)
•
2009-10 0.6 million working days lost due
to workplace injury
What’s the problem…..and Health
•
•
2008
•
•
>500 silica cancer deaths per year
•
2009-10 2.6 million days lost to workrelated ill-health (= 0.77 days per worker)
2249 mesothelioma deaths
estimated 4000 deaths per year from
asbestos related disease
>50% of all occupational cancers
Ill health – Construction vs others
What are we doing….. Supply chain
– handling of kerbs and paving
– handling of heavy blocks
– silica exposure from kerb and paving
cutting
– HAV from portable vibrating tools
– handling of plasterboard
– more to be added ??
Handling Heavy Kerbs
•
Manual lifting picture vs mechanical lifting
picture
[picture omitted]
Control of silica exposure during cutting operations –
dry cutting picture vs use of water suppression picture
Picture omitted
What are we doing…..COHME
What are we doing…..CONIAC Health
Risks Working Group
•
Leading example of working with others in
partnership in helping ‘create healthier
safer workplaces’
•
•
2nd meeting held on 2 November
Initial business objective : define scope of
‘Occupational Health’
What are we doing…..specific health
risk activities
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hazardous substance research
Dust / respiratory risks campaign
Asbestos
Manual handling
Welfare
Other emerging / re-emerging issues
What more can we do
?
Thank you for listening
Ian Strudley
HM Principal Specialist Inspector
Health Risk Management Unit
Construction Division
HSE
01256 404085
07798 882185
ian.strudley@hse.gsi.gov.uk