Health and Safety Management for Quarry related Degree Courses
Topic Six
HEALTH ASSESSMENT &
SURVEILLANCE
Objectives of this Section
 To outline the difference between safety and health
hazards.
 To demonstrate a practical methodology
undertaking health risk assessments.
for
 To outline the reasons for undertaking health
surveillance.
 To identify some common health hazards present in
the quarrying industry.
Overheads: Topic 6
Health Assessment and Surveillance.
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Introduction
 Health and safety law places a duty
on employers to ensure the health
as well as the safety of their
employees.
 Yet each year many more people
become ill as a result of their work
than are killed or injured in
industrial accidents.
 Most diseases caused by work do
not kill, but can involve years of
pain, suffering and discomfort for
those affected.
Overheads: Topic 6
Health Assessment and Surveillance.
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Health and Safety Management for Quarry related Degree Courses
It has long been recognised that health risks
have not received the same attention as safety
risks.
Possible reasons:
 The health risk may not be understood or
well defined and the cause/effect relationship
not established.
 Health risks tend not to attract widespread
publicity or demand the same urgent
attention as safety risks.
 Health risks appear to have little, if any, short
term effect and it may be that ill-health does
not occur for many years after exposure.
 Health risks may be more difficult to address,
resulting in attention being directed to risks
where control is more visible and likely to
attract tangible benefits
 Comprehensive data on the occupational illhealth may simply not exist in many cases
and in practice, the true extent of
occupationally related ill-health may be
unknown.
Overheads: Topic 6
Health Assessment and Surveillance.
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Health and Safety Management for Quarry related Degree Courses
Typical Health Risks
Risks to health from work activities include:
 Skin contact with irritant substances, leading
to dermatitis etc.
 Inhalation of respiratory sensitisers, triggering
immune responses such as asthma.
 Badly
designed
workstations
requiring
awkward body postures or repetitive
movements result in upper limb disorders,
repetitive
strain
injury
and
other
musculoskeletal conditions.
 Noise levels which are too high, causing
deafness and conditions such as tinnitus.
 Too much vibration, eg from hand-held tools
leading to hand arm vibration syndrome and
circulatory problems.
 Exposure to ionising and non-ionising
radiation including ultraviolet in the sun’s rays
causing burns, sickness and skin cancer.
Overheads: Topic 6
Health Assessment and Surveillance.
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Health and Safety Management for Quarry related Degree Courses
Occupational Health
Occupational health is about protecting
the physical and mental health of workers
and ensuring their continual welfare in
their working environment. In addition to
preventing ill health, other important
aspects of occupational health include:
 Ensuring
fitness
and
physical
capability to perform a job safely.
 Health education and promotion.
 Providing medical services including
health surveillance.
 Rehabilitation after illness or injury.
Overheads: Topic 6
Health Assessment and Surveillance.
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Health and Safety Management for Quarry related Degree Courses
Health Risk Management
START
Workplace risk assessment
No Risk
Measure Exposure:
 airborne -OEL’s
uncertain risk
STOP
known risk
Select control measures for:
 exposure, and
 spread of contamination
elimination
engineering
administration
Review if:
 significant changes
 new information
 every 2-5 years
Monitoring Programme
 design
 implement
personal protective equipment
Ensure
continuing
effectiveness
of controls
Overheads: Topic 6
Health Assessment and Surveillance.
Ensure use of controls:
 information, instruction, training
 rules and procedures
 supervision
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Health and Safety Management for Quarry related Degree Courses
Hazard Identification
Most hazards can be identified based on knowledge and
observation of the work activity, though specialist advice
or assistance may be necessary.
The most common agents likely to present health
hazards at quarries are listed below
Dus
t
Nois
e
Vibratio
n
Oil,
Fuel,
Greas
e
Skin
respirator
y
senisiters
Manual
handlin
g
Eyesigh
t
Weldin
g fume
Asbesto
s
DS
E
Weighbridg
e



Office Staff



Loading
Shovel




?

Dumper




?

Plant
Operator



?
?

?
Crusher
Operator



?
?

?
Foreman


?
?
?

Driller


?
?


Shotfirer


?
?


Fitter


?




Electrician


?




?
Manager


?
?


?
Overheads: Topic 6
Health Assessment and Surveillance.

?
?
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Risk Assessment
The two major elements that need to be considered are:
 The potential consequences of exposure to the
hazard.
 The potential exposure to the hazard.


Hazardous
properties


Potential
severity
Physical
form;
Quantity
Activities
Potential of
Exposure
Risk of
Harm
Overheads: Topic 6
Health Assessment and Surveillance.
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Health and Safety Management for Quarry related Degree Courses
Potential Severity
The potential severity of exposure to the
hazard is related to the properties of the
hazard.
For example:
 The toxicity of a chemical.
 The sound pressure level at the
operators ear and the frequency of a
noise source.
 The
intensity and penetrability of
ionising radiation.
Overheads: Topic 6
Health Assessment and Surveillance.
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Health and Safety Management for Quarry related Degree Courses
Potential Exposure
Potential for exposure means the opportunity to do
harm. Need to consider:
 The proportion of the work force who are or
will be exposed to the hazard (in particular
the frequency of exposure and length of time
of exposure).
 Any risk reducing control measures that are
in place and their effectiveness in reducing
the risk.
Where necessary some form of sampling and
exposure measurements should be undertaken to
determine the extent of the hazard at the time of
the assessment.
These can then be compared with any
occupational exposure limits (such as TLV’s and
OEL’s) that have been set for the industry, as well
as any in-house standards.
Such exposure measurements may also assist in
determining any remedial action that is necessary.
Overheads: Topic 6
Health Assessment and Surveillance.
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Health and Safety Management for Quarry related Degree Courses
Controlling the Risk
If the assessment of risk shows that further action is
necessary, then control measures should be selected
according to the hierarchy of risk control, namely
Hierarchy of Risk Control
 Elimination of the risk. This can be achieved
through redesigning the activity or equipment to
eliminate the release of the hazard;
 Reduction of the risk at source through
engineering controls. This can be achieved by
enclosing the activity or equipment to capture
and/or absorb the hazard, dilute the hazard or
release it into a safer place;
 Minimising the risk through procedural controls.
This
involves
implementing
systems
and
procedures so that work is carried out in a particular
way that limits exposure to the hazard.
 Use of appropriate personal protective equipment
(PPE).
Overheads: Topic 6
Health Assessment and Surveillance.
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Health and Safety Management for Quarry related Degree Courses
PPE
The use of PPE is the last resort for the control
of the exposure of employees to hazards. This
is because PPE only protects the wearer and
then only if worn properly. Situations where the
use of PPE may be necessary are:
 Where adequate control of exposure cannot
be achieved by elimination, reduction at
source or minimisation through administrative
controls.
 As a ‘stop-gap; measure, where a risk
assessment indicates that further control
measures are necessary and until those
further measures have been introduced and
are deemed effective.
Overheads: Topic 6
Health Assessment and Surveillance.
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Health and Safety Management for Quarry related Degree Courses
Examples of Hierarchy of Risk
Control: Noise
 Sound absorbent material around noisy
machinery;
 Use of sound absorbing wall and floor
materials;
 Cover the source of the noise (e.g. using
hoods);
 Arranging plant and equipment to create
screens and reduce the level of reflected
sound;
 Isolating workers from the noise source;
 As a last resort provide comfortable PPE
Overheads: Topic 6
Health Assessment and Surveillance.
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Health and Safety Management for Quarry related Degree Courses
Ensuring the use of Control
Measures
This is a responsibility of both the employer
and employee and can be achieved by
ensuring that the workforce receive adequate
instruction and training through:
 Working procedures, codes of practice
or other procedural controls.
 Educating the workforce on the hazards
and risks involved in their work and
how control measures will protect their
health.
 Effective supervision.
Employees must use these control measures
in compliance with any such instruction and
training.
Overheads: Topic 6
Health Assessment and Surveillance.
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Proactive monitoring: Sampling &
Exposure monitoring
Active monitoring is achieved through
sampling and exposure monitoring in order
to:
 Check the effectiveness of risk reducing
control measures, as a failure in these
measures results in an increased risk of
harm occurring.
 Confirm that Occupational Exposure
Limits are not exceeded.
 Tie in with the medical surveillance
programme.
Overheads: Topic 6
Health Assessment and Surveillance.
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Health Surveillance
Health surveillance means having a system to look
for early signs of ill-health caused by work in order
to:
 Detect adverse effects early.
 Prevent further harm being caused.
The criteria for carrying out occupational health
surveillance are:
 There is an identifiable disease or condition
associated with the work.
 There are valid techniques to detect the
condition at an early stage.
 There is reasonable likelihood that the disease
or condition will occur in the particular
circumstances of the exposure.
 That health surveillance will be of benefit to
individuals or groups of workers.
Overheads: Topic 6
Health Assessment and Surveillance.
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Health and Safety Management for Quarry related Degree Courses
Appendix: Hazard information from QPA Guide
Dust
Substance/
Hazard
Possible Ill
Health
Effects
Control
Level
Health
Surveillanc
e
Whilst dust is present in all quarries, the
nature of the dust presents differing levels
of risk. In general the highest risk is
presented by dusts containing high levels of
respirable crystalline silica. Limestone may
have no free silica. Flint may be in excess
of 90%.
Exposure to dust can affect chest health
and can result in pneumoconiosis or
silicosis.
Routine atmospheric dust monitoring is
required. EH40 “Occupational Exposure
Limits” lists standards for various dusts. E.g.
Occupational Exposure Standards
Limestone 10mg/m3 total inhalable dust/4
mg/m3 respirable dust.
Coal: 2 mg/m3 respirable dust
Kaolin: 2 mg/m3 respirable dust
Maximum Exposure Limit
Crystalline Silica: 0.3mg/m3 respirable dust
For new employees where a medical
assessment is considered appropriate
medical may include a respiratory
questionnaire, lung function test and
possibly x-ray if exposure to silica is likely.
Where operatives are exposed to levels of
respirable crystalline silica greater than 0.1
mg/m3, the Guidance in EH59 (latest
revision) should be followed.
Overheads: Topic 6
Health Assessment and Surveillance.
Noise
Quarrying is a noisy industry, typical levels
being:
Primary Crusher: 89-108 dB(A)
Hand Drill: 106 - 110 dB(A)
Long term irreversible hearing loss.
The Noise at Work Regulations 1989 set
out three action levels:
1st Action Level – 85 dB(A) L EP,d
-assessment must be carried out
-ear protectors on request
2nd Action Level – 90 dB(A) L EP,d
- reduction of exposure required
- ear protectors to be provided
- ear protection zones required
Peak Action Level – 140 dB(A) L EP,d
- as 2nd Action Level
For new employees where a medical
assessment is considered appropriate
audiometer should be carried out.
It is good practice to carry out regular
hearing checks on all employees whose
daily personal noise exposures equal or
exceed 90 dB(A); many employers already
do this. 90 dB(A) is the same as the ‘second
action level’ in NaW Regs – the level at
which protection must be worn. The risk of
hearing damage rises significantly at
exposures above this level. Therefore, even
when hearing protection is used, hearing
checks (audiometry) should normally be
provided when noise levels reach or exceed
95 dB(A), except where that exposure is
likely to be only temporary, for example for
a few weeks in a year.
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Dust
Precautions
Avoid generation of dust in the first
instance. Avoid exposure to dust. Maintain
seals/filters etc for control rooms, vehicle
cabs and other ‘dust refuges’.
Where exposure cannot be adequately
control by other means appropriate
respiratory protective equipment should be
used.
Additional
Information
“Respirable Crystalline Silica: exposure
assessment document” HSE EH74/2 ISBN
0 7176 1659 2
“Control of respirable crystalline silica in
quarries” HS(G)73 ISBN 0 11 88 5680 4
“Occupational Exposure Limits” HSE EH40
– consult current edition
EH59 Respirable Crystalline Silica (1997
Revision) ISBN 0 7176 1432 8
“Managing asbestos in workplace buildings”
HSE IND(G)223
“The Control of Asbestos at Work” HSE L27
(1999 Revision) ISBN 0 7176 1673 8
Overheads: Topic 6
Health Assessment and Surveillance.
Noise
Purchase less noisy equipment and keep it
maintained.
Reduce exposure below peak and second
action level.
Provide quiet refuges.
Educate the workforce.
Only approved PPE giving adequate
attenuation should be used.
All PPE must be properly maintained.
“Control of Noise in Quarries” HS(G)109
ISBN 0 7176 0648 1
“Health Surveillance in Noisy Industries”
IND(G)193L
“A guide to audiometric testing
programmes” HSE Guidance Note MS26
ISBN 0 7176 0942 1
“Keep the Noise down: advice for
purchasers of workplace machinery” HSE
IND(G)263.
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