Construction Industry Briefing: Issue 12 (March 08)
The following topics are covered in this issue: asbestos, silica, occupational cancer, indoor air, and cardiovascular disease:
The Health and Safety Executive put out a press release about the Licensed Asbestos Contractors’ Leadership Summit on 13th February. HSE asked the asbestos removal industry to make further improvements in reducing ill-health caused by working with asbestos. The press release is available at…
http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2008/gnne05108.htm
There is a section (43) in CPWR’s ‘The Construction Chart Book’ on ‘Lung hazards, including asbestos, silica, dusts and fumes’, which includes a table on ‘Asbestosis and lung cancer proportionate mortality rates (PMRs) in construction, selected occupations 1990-1999’. The analysis concludes that “The best way to protect workers from lung hazards is to prevent the substances from being released into the air, through controls such as ventilation and dust suppression”:
http://www.insulators26.com/library/document-library/20080305111037.Lung.pdf
An article entitled ‘The burden of cancer at work: estimation as the first step to prevention’ has been published as an advance access article in the OEM. The authors state that “For the six cancers [bladder, lung, non-melanoma skin, sinonasal, leukaemia and mesothelioma] exposures in the construction industry are estimated to produce over half of Great Britain’s attributable cancer deaths in men (n=3219)”.
http://oem.bmj.com/cgi/rapidpdf/oem.2007.037002v2
The World Health Organization has published on its web site the ‘Development of WHO guidelines for indoor air quality: dampness and mould’. One of its recommendations is that “Building owners are responsible for providing a [sic] healthful workplaces or living environments free of excessive moisture and mould problems by ensuring proper building construction and maintenance.” The guidelines are available at…
http://www.euro.who.int/Document/E91146.pdf
5. CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD)
Research into the Dutch construction industry has revealed that twenty percent of workers have an elevated risk of CVD. The full text of the article entitled ‘Design of a RCT evaluating thr (cost-) effectiveness of a lifestyle invervention for male construction workers at risk of cardiovascular disease: the Health under Construction study’ can be accessed at…
http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2458-8-1.pdf
If you would like us to feature any specific construction occupational health issue then let us know.
CONSTRUCTION BRIEFINGS ARCHIVE
Construction Briefing (March 2007)
Construction Briefing (April 2007)
Construction Briefing (May 2007)
Construction Briefing (June 2007)
Construction Briefing (July 2007)
Construction Briefing (August 2007)
Construction Briefing (September 2007)
Construction Briefing (October 2007)
Construction Briefing (November 2007)
Construction Briefing (December 2007)
Construction Briefing (January 2008)