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Deadly dust
Page 36
Page 37
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Tipper drivers are exposed to harmful dust in quarries and building sites. What can be done to minimise the danger? Sally Nash reports.
John Garlick has been involved in bulk haulage work for many years. In his experience there is always a cloud of dust when loading and unloading concrete at the plants, and he believes that inhaling this dust must have had a detrimental effect on his health.
Even though the drivers use protective equipment such as masks, goggles and helmets, nothing can help if a pipe bursts, he says.
-The money is very poor when you take the health and safety hazards of the job into account," says Garlick." You earn every penny because of what you breathe in:' The dust from hardened concrete and mortar is known to include particles small enough to damage lungs which may contain crystalline silica; it's known as "respirable silica". Also known as quartz, silica is found almost everywhere in the earth's crust and is present in varying amounts in sand, clay, muds, shale and in rocks such as granite_ It is also found in the ground in quarries and mines, and in building and construction materials such as cement, concrete, plaster, bricks and tiles.
For these reasons, tipper operators working in quarries and drivers hauling construction materials could be at some risk. Extended periods of exposure to high concentrations of this dust can lead to the occupational lung disease silicosis. "Grinder's rot", "Potter's rot" and "Stonemason's disease" are all names that were used in the past to describe silicosis. It's less common nowadays but a number of people are still diagnosed every year with this incurable disease.
US studies indicate that people who have silicosis have increased susceptibility to infections such as tuberculosis.There is also increasing evidence that anyone with silicosis is at increased risk of developing lung cancer. Smoking not only aggravates the symptoms, it speeds up the debilitating progress of the disease.
There are maximum exposure limits (IVLELs) for respirable silica under the COSHI-I regulations. According to the Health & Safety Executive, if workers are exposed regularly to 0.3mg/m there is a much greater risk of lung damage than was previously thought.The HSE believes it should be practicable for all industry sectors to control respirable crystalline silica (RCS) to 0.1mg/trO.
A new system of Occupational Exposure Limits is due to be in place by the end of this year and it's likely to overtake any MEL developments. The HSE plans to consult on a more stringent OEL for RCS when the new system comes into force.
To this end the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 imposes a duty of care on employers to safeguard their employees' health. The HSE warns: "Never assume any dust is safe."
In the meantime companies like Hanson Aggregates have their own controls and procedures designed to minimise risk.The company specifies a number of personal protection measures such as using abrasion-resistant gloves and HSE-approved dust goggles.
A spokeswoman says: -Hanson Aggregates recognises that our hauliers are an integral part of our business and as such must be included in health and safety training. To this end we have worked with other companies to develop oneday, fully assessed training courses specifically for drivers which covers all aspects of haulier activity including the protective clothing that needs to be worn."
So far over 1,000 of Hanson's drivers have been on the training course, which is accredited by EPIC Training and Consultancy. It is now being developed by EPIC to be delivered thzoughout the industry.
The HSE has its own list of guidelines for employers to follow: • You should give priority to preventing your employees being exposed to RCS dust.
• Where preventing exposure to RCS dust is not practicable (eg by using a different substance) you should adequately control exposure by a combination of engineering and process control measures.
• HSE believes that in most cases it should be reasonably practicable to control exposure to 0.1 mg/m3 or less by engineering or process control employers should aim to ensure that workers are not exposed to RCS dust concentrations above this level.
• If exposure cannot be controlled to 0.1mg/m3 or below by elimination, process or engineering controls, it must be controlled by provision and use of suitable respiratory equipment.
• When dealing with exposure you should try to reduce the number of people exposed to RCS dust and the length of time they are exposed, as required by good hygiene practice. II You must give all your employees who are, or who may be, exposed to RCS dust sufficient information, instruction and training to understand the potential problems and the precautions they need to take.
• You should make sure that employees or their representatives are aware of this information and are consulted on any action that you propose to take as a result.
But Garlick reckons the guidelines are in place to protect the employer, rather than the employee. He has his own method of reducing the effects of dust. "I've heard that milk is the thing. Miners used to drink a lot of milk. I don't know if it helps prevent disease or just helps to relieve pain but it's worth a try." •