New construction guidance to stop deaths from occupational disease

The construction industry has launched new guidance to make the industry aware of occupational disease and encourage better management.

Health and Safety Executives are urging the industry to put an end to the hundreds of construction workers that die every month due to occupational diseases, after inspectors issued more than 200 health related enforcement notices during a recent HSE construction inspection initiative.

The new guide was written by the Construction Industry Advisory Committee Health Risks Working Group and formatted with the assistance of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health. It raises awareness of the occupational health issues in construction and how best to manage them, providing information as to where firms can get help and assistance. The guide is aimed primarily at employers, although directors, health and safety professionals and occupational health service providers can use it to identify their roles in the management of occupational health risks in construction.

Ian Strudley, Chair of the ConIAC Health Risks Working Group and HSE Principal Specialist Inspector said: “The misunderstanding of occupational health within the construction sector means that whilst the industry focus on managing the more familiar safety issues, serious health risks get ignored. We cannot let this continue.

“When figures show that construction workers are at least 100 times more likely to die from a disease caused or made worse by their work as they are from a fatal accident, the industry must take action.”

It is hoped that the guidance could help lower incidence rates of occupational ill-health and change the perception of working in the construction industry.

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