Occupational health risk management in construction. A guide to the key issues of occupational health provision
In November 2015, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) published ‘Occupational health risk management in construction. A guide to the key issues of occupational health provision’ prepared by the Construction Industry Advisory Committee (CONIAC) Health Risks Working Group. Ref HSE, New construction guidance to stop workers dying each week from occupational disease, 20 November 2015.
The Construction Industry Advisory Committee (CONIAC) advises the HSE on the protection of people at work and others from hazards to health and safety within the building, civil engineering and engineering construction industries.
The 20-page guide provides advice on assessing the risks to health in the construction industry and the role of the occupational health service in preventing or controlling those risks. It is aimed at employers, but is also relevant to directors, health and safety professionals, safety representatives and occupational health service providers.
According to the guide, ‘Occupational ill health refers to all health problems in the work environment. The term covers health problems workers bring to the workplace, as well as health issues caused or made worse by work. It covers serious and fatal diseases, physical effects on skin, breathing, hearing, mobility and functioning, and psychological effects on mental wellbeing. Effects may be immediate and visible, but are more often unseen and take a long time to develop, so vigilance and monitoring can be key to identifying problems. Some effects can be cured if diagnosed early; many can only be prevented from getting worse. Of course, some diseases are terminal.’
In construction, key risks include:
- Exposure to asbestos, dusts including silica and lead, chemicals, sunlight and diesel engine exhaust emissions.
- Frequent loud noise.
- Frequent or excessive use of vibrating tools.
- Frequent or excessive manual handling of loads.
- Stress and fatigue.
The publication provides guidance about:
- How to assess the risks to workers.
- Occupational health risk management.
- Worker involvement and consultation.
- Hiring an occupational health service provider.
- Different kinds of occupational health provision.
- Types of health surveillance.
- Asking the right questions when buying occupational health services.
- Making sure providers can carry out the required occupational health services.
- What to expect from an occupational health service provider.
- What to do about restrictions on certain workers’ exposures or tasks.
- What to do once a competent provider has been found.
- What to do where there is more than one occupational health service provider.
- Other health promotion and fitness-for-work programmes.
Publication of the guide followed reports that HSE inspectors had issued more than 200 health-related enforcement notices during a recent construction inspection initiative. The HSE suggest that this points to a “...widespread misunderstanding of what ‘occupational health’ means in the construction sector and the employers’ misguided perception that health is more difficult to manage than safety”.
CONIAC chair, Ian Strudley said, “The misunderstanding of occupational health within the construction sector means that whilst the industry focuses on managing the more familiar safety issues, serious health risks get ignored. We cannot let this continue.“
Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) executive director Shelley Frost said, “There have been huge advances in improving safety in the construction sector over the last 15 years but the industry has yet to generate such advances in improving the picture in occupational health. Every week, 100 people die from construction-related ill health in the UK. Less than half of construction workers also stay employed in the industry until they are 60.”
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Asbestos.
- CDM.
- Construction Industry Advisory Committee.
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH).
- Deleterious materials.
- Environmental health.
- Fee for intervention.
- Health and safety consultant.
- Health and Safety Executive.
- Health and safety inspector.
- Health and safety offences, corporate manslaughter and food safety and hygiene offences definitive guideline.
- Health and safety policy.
- Health and safety.
- Heat stress.
- Notification to HSE.
- Occupational health.
- Personal protective equipment.
- Reporting accidents and injuries on construction sites.
- Wellbeing.
- Work at height regulations.
- Workplace noise exposure estimator.
Featured articles and news
The future of construction report.
Interview with ECA CEO.
The Building Safety Act 2022 today.
Many provisions came into force on June 28, 2022.
With room to expand.
An information packed session at the BSRIA conference.
Refurbishment, Energy Efficiency, Indoor air and process.
Considering building acoustics with the AT Journal.
Why building acoustic considerations must be non-negotiable.
Create a profile, write informed product articles and share.
Aluminium Composite Panels (ACP) is one example.
Top 50 Women in engineering 2022.
Inventors and innovators at ICE.
Life, death and art at the Stuart court. Book review.
Real estate, place adaptation and innovation.
Review and comment on the revised draft before July 11.
We are indeed now 10 years old, so go on and be bold !
Write about something you know, help us build and grow !
IHBC's 25th anniversary 2022 Aberdeen School.
A blended event and triumphant return.
New Construction Leadership Council Co-Chair selected.
Mark Reynolds succeeds Andy Mitchell as Co-Chair of CLC
Designing Buildings is 10 years old.
Types of work to existing buildings.
From alteration to deconstruction on DB.
Publication available
In the sunshine things get hotter.
Understanding temperature in buildings on DB.
Giving power to the consumer on the road to net-zero.
A call for home energy management to be modernised.
How many different types can you think of ?
50th anniversary of the first Pride parade UK.
Looking back and fourth to what still needs to be done.
Balkrishna Doshi wins Royal Gold Medal 2022.
Pioneering Indian environmental design Architect.
The greenest building is the one already built.
History of Temple Meads rewritten.
UK crying out for female tradespeople says CIOB research.
Currently standing at just 1%.
Find out more with BSRIA.
Changes come into force for F,L,O and S.