How to manage exposure risk in construction health and safety

Construction workers face many potential hazards during a working day. Those hazards include so-called exposure risks, such as noise and airborne substances like hazardous dust, chemicals, vapours and fumes. These can all be detrimental to a worker’s health, which is why they need to be carefully monitored and managed.

Here we discuss what exposure risk management is, explore the risks on a construction site and outline the steps you can take to protect your workers.

What is workplace exposure monitoring?

According to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), employers must monitor their employees’ exposure to harmful substances when working in hazardous environments.

By monitoring the type and level of hazardous substances present, you can ensure you do not exceed the legal limits. You can also determine what controls to implement to safeguard your workers. 

As well as meeting your legal obligations, managing your exposure risks can reduce the complications associated with employee ill health. It also prevents you from implementing potentially costly controls you may not require.

What are the potential exposure risks on construction sites?

Many activities on construction sites create a hazardous mixture of dust, materials and fibres that can lead to a range of health conditions.

The following are some of the main exposure risks to consider:

• Silica dust - created when working with materials like mortar, concrete and sandstone
• Wood dust - produced by softwood, hardwood and often wood-based products such as MDF
• Lower toxicity dust - plasterboard, limestone, marble and dolomite contain little or no silica but still create a hazardous dust
• Diesel engine exhaust emissions - heavy vehicles, generators and chainsaws create emissions that are particularly hazardous in confined spaces
• Old lead paint - removing or stripping old paint coatings can produce hazardous lead dust or fumes
• Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) - this fine dust is created when grinding, drilling, cutting and sanding common construction materials like concrete and stone  
• Noise - construction workers exposed to over 80 decibels of noise and must be given suitable hearing protection  

How can you manage exposure risk in construction?

Effectively managing the exposure risk on construction sites is a multi-stage process.

Initial assessment
The first step is to assess what raw materials and products you use and how those hazardous substances are becoming airborne. You should then consider how significant exposure may occur, who might be exposed and for how long. Based on your findings, you can then determine what further action, if any, you need to take.

Preliminary survey
If you need to investigate further, you can conduct a preliminary survey to assess exposure patterns and levels. Recognised assessment methods include sampling the air in a worker’s general breathing zone or using a wipe to capture the material on an employee’s skin.

You should conduct a more detailed survey if exposure levels are close to the legal limits. If your levels exceed the limits, you must put immediate controls in place. 

Detailed survey
A detailed survey will determine whether workers are exposed to harmful substances for prolonged periods. You must also conduct detailed surveys when carrying out infrequent tasks or any activities where the exposure risks are unknown. 

Routine workplace monitoring
You should conduct ongoing routine monitoring to ensure the controls you put in place are effective, ensure exposure limits are not being exceeded and confirm your initial assessment is still valid. 

Put effective controls in place
Once you understand when you are exceeding the limits and why, you can act to reduce exposure to below those limits. You must also put appropriate controls in place, such as providing Respiratory Protective Equipment.   

How Eddisons can help

As an employer, it’s your legal duty to monitor your workers’ exposure and take necessary steps to protect their health. At Eddisons, our health and safety experts can help you assess your risks and meet the relevant compliance requirements. Please get in touch to discuss your exposure risks with our UK-wide team.