Best Practices

10 Health Risks on Construction Sites You Should Know About

A construction site and the type of work that takes place within it can mean that on-site teams face hazards more regularly than other industries

Depending on the type of hazard they’re facing, construction workers could be at increased risk of ill-health or injury.

For example, working on a construction site may mean that you occasionally work at height on scaffolding and operate in environments where hazardous substances like dust and fumes are regularly present.

This article highlights some of the key areas of high-risk as identified by HSE’s Health and Safety in Construction document and the most recent HSE statistics.

Ill-health

1. Asbestos

Despite being banned in 1999, asbestos is still a potential health risk as it remains inside older buildings. If construction or demolition disturbs lament asbestos in a building, dangerous fibres could be inhaled by those nearby, putting their health at significant risk.

2. Other Hazardous Substances

Other hazardous substances can be anything from excess dust, fumes, vapours, chemicals and more, which when inhaled, can have long-term health effects. A full list of hazard substances and their exposure limits can be found in EH40/2005.

On site processes which may produce hazardous materials such as cutting, chasing, grinding etc, should be identified and adhere to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH).

Employing engineering controls to capture hazardous substances at the source can help satisfy COSHH regulation on site. Depending on the materials being used, dust extractors, fume extractors and LEV solutions can help avoid exposure to hazardous substances.

3. Manual Handling

Lifting heavy materials regularly can cause one-off injuries, especially if lifting awkward loads or manoeuvring around materials in a small space. More commonly, long-term injury develops due to repetitive strain and lifting over time.

4. Noise & Vibration

Machinery and processes on constructions sites such as excavation, jackhammering, piling and more can cause high levels of noise and vibration. Excess noise can cause hearing loss over time and repeated use of vibrating tools can cause hand-arm vibration syndrome.

Acoustic enclosures can help to localise noise to one specific area on the site, reducing the impact of noise pollution on those nearby. Containing the noise to one or a number of different areas on site makes it easier to manage workplace exposure.

5. Mental Health

Construction work is a high-pressure industry with tight turnarounds, long hours in risky environments, managing budgets and everything in-between. Plus, the stigma of mental health makes workers less comfortable disclosing personal struggles, resulting in a culture which prevents many workers from seeking support when they may need it.

If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, the Construction Industry Helpline may be able to help. Their helpline is 0345 605 1956 and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Accident and injury

6. Falls

When working at height, additional safeguarding measures such as guard rails and toe boards should be used. Without this, inadequate work access and unsafe work positioning can lead to falls from height.

You can minimise the risk of falling from height by using protection devices such as fall harnesses. Although primarily used for confined space work, these are becoming increasingly popular on construction sites where safeguarding equipment is not sufficient.

7. Mobile Plant

With workers and plant machinery operating across live construction sites, there is risk of a collision between people and vehicles. This is especially true when surfaces are uneven and visibility is low during works like demolition, increasing the risk of accident and injury.

8. Falling Material and Collapses

Workers can be struck from materials falling during loading, from high platforms, accidental drops or when high-velocity works are carried out e.g. demolition, excavation, abrasive blasting etc.

9. Electrical accidents

When workers use inadequate equipment or fail to check for buried cables before carrying out work, they are at risk of shocks and burns.

10. Trips, slips and falls

Uneven surfaces and construction materials create an environment where trips, slips and falls are extremely common but avoidable. With effective management of routes and access points around site, the risk is reduced.

Read more about the most recent H&S statistics.

Speak with an expert on how to handle health hazards such as dust, noise and fume on your construction site.

[1] https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbesto...

[2] https://www.hse.gov.uk/statist...

[3] https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/assets/docs/hssh2324.pdf

[4] https://www.hse.gov.uk/statist...

[5] https://www.hse.gov.uk/statist...

[6] https://www.hse.gov.uk/statist...

[7] https://www.hse.gov.uk/statist...

[8] https://www.hse.gov.uk/statist...

[9] https://www.hse.gov.uk/electri...

[10] https://www.hse.gov.uk/statist...