There have been big improvements over recent years in reducing the number and rate of injuries to construction workers. However, a number of serious ill-health issues continue to affect construction workers. These can be devastating for individuals and families. This site tells you about these risks and how to manage them.

In part one we discussed the managing of the essentials of managing health risks on construction projects, and this edition we will look at physical ill health and hazardous substances.

Construction physical ill health risks:

Construction workers are exposed to physical ill health risks from noise, vibration, manual handling and doing repetitive tasks. You need to be aware of the significance of the ill health effects these cause and the main risk factors behind them. Below are some key points.

Effects

The key physical risk health effects in construction are:

• Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) – MSDs are injury, damage or disorder of the joints or other tissues in the upper / lower limbs or the back. Skilled construction and building trades are one of the occupations with the highest estimated prevalence of back injuries and upper limb disorders. Handling is also the most commonly reported cause of over seven-day injuries in the industry.

• Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) – noise is part of everyday life, but construction has one of the highest rates of occupational deafness. Too much noise can cause permanent and disabling hearing damage. This often takes the form of hearing loss that gets worse over time, but damage can also be caused by sudden, extremely loud noises. Regular frequent noise is also linked to tinnitus (permanent ringing in the ears).

• Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS) – HAVS is a range of conditions to the hands and arms caused by frequent exposure to vibration from hand-held power tools (such as grinders or road breakers) and hand-guided equipment (such as pedestrian controlled floor saws). This causes poor blood circulation, neurological and muscular damage to the affected areas and can permanently reduce the ability to grip properly. Construction has one of the highest rates of HAVS of all industries.

Main risk factors

The risk of getting these ill health conditions is related to a number of common factors:

• Who – who is at risk? Think about your employees. Who is using noisy or vibrating equipment? Is anyone lifting heavy loads or doing repetitive tasks? Has health surveillance identified anyone with existing problems that could be made worse? Is there anyone else who might be affected by the noise you are making?

• What – what tasks are you doing? Some tasks, such as lifting blocks or kerbs can present specific dangers. The level of risk will also be influenced by how frequently someone is exposed and whether there is any variation during the day / over different days.

• Where – where the work is taking place can also have an effect. Small and enclosed spaces increase noise levels. Having to adopt awkward postures can increase the force needed to apply and control tools. This can increase the vibration levels passing into the user’s hand and arm. Similarly, awkward postures place added strain on the body when lifting or carrying.

Construction hazardous substances:

Construction workers are exposed to many different types of hazardous substances such as dust, lead or cement. You need to be aware of the substances you are working with, how these could get into your body and what the potential health effects are. Below are some key points.

Form

Hazardous substances come in a number of different forms:

• Solids - including particles of solid material that get into the air such as dust, fibres, smoke and fume.

• Liquids - including fine sprays, mists and aerosols made up of small droplets of liquid – e.g. sprayed paint.

• Vapours - gaseous forms of a liquid or solid, e.g. solvent vapour.

• Gases - some processes can generate gases like carbon monoxide or engine exhaust gases.

• Micro-organisms - microscopic organisms, like bacteria, viruses and fungi can be found almost everywhere.

Under certain conditions, a substance can exist in more than one form at the same time (eg paint spraying can produce fine mists of liquid droplets and also solvent vapour). Knowing the correct form(s) a hazardous substance takes is important for getting the right controls.

Exposure route

Hazardous substances can get into the body in a number of ways. There are three main routes:

• Lungs and airways – hazardous substances can be inhaled in the air you are breathing. The lungs and airways are vulnerable to many of these substances like dust or isocyanates. Your lungs are also closely linked to the circulatory system so the oxygen we breathe in the air can be transferred to the blood and on to all the tissues and organs in the body. This means that harmful substances, like solvent vapours, could also get into your blood and be distributed around your body.

• Skin – some substances, such as cement, can directly affect your skin through contact leading to problems like dermatitis or burns. Other substances, e.g. solvents, can be absorbed through your skin into the blood. Harmful micro-organisms can also get into your body through cuts and wounds.

• Mouth – everyone eats and drinks. Some people also smoke. You can therefore transfer hazardous substances into your body e.g. when eating or smoking with hands contaminated with lead dust.

Effects

Different substances can harm your health in different ways. Some of these occur more immediately, like dizziness, headaches and nausea from solvents or burns from cement. Others, such as lung diseases, can take much longer and sometimes many years to develop.

Construction is a high-risk industry for health issues. Hazardous substances cause many of these issues, particularly in relation to occupational cancers where the industry has the largest burden amongst the industrial sectors.

Sources: OHS Act, MBSA Construction Manual and various websites.

Neil Enslin | Occupational Health and Safety Manager