Safety Short: What HSE Looks For on Site (Construction Dust)

In this Safety Short, Chris Lucas from the  Health & Safety Executive explains some of the issues and failings inspectors regularly find when they go to a site. He provides valuable information about the expected standards for asbestos and dust.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Asbestos Refurbishment Survey There should be a refurbishment survey and this information should have been supplied to the principal contractor. The client has a duty to provide the survey and understand the potential challenges for the building. Training Trades that will potentially encounter asbestos must be correctly trained Visit HSE.gov.uk for further information and training schedules. Dust Extraction People are familiar with water suppression but are less familiar with dust extraction and the standards for equipment. Look for an ‘M’ or ‘H’ classification sticker The HSE guide CIS69 provides details. Masks People either don’t have the right level of mask, FFP3 is required for dust, or they have the right type of mask and it’s not used, maintained or stored in the correct way   BEST MOMENTS ‘There’s a lot of things that can and do go wrong with masks’ ‘They are an important control if used correctly’ ‘It’s a trade-off between one and another’ ‘It's only once the right information is provided that an accurate price can be calculated’   VALUABLE RESOURCES  The Interesting Health & Safety Podcast   ABOUT THE HOST Colin’s Biography   ‘Making health and safety as important as everything else we do.’ This is the belief that Colin is passionate about and through his consultancy Influential Management Group (IMG) is able to spread into industry. Colin works at a strategic level with company owners and board members. He helps business leaders establish and achieve their health and safety ambitions. He has developed a number of leading competency improvement programmes That are delivered across industry and his strengths are his ability to take a practical approach to problem-solving and being able to liaise at all levels within an organisation. Colin also runs a company that vets contractors online and a network that develops and support H&S consultancies to become better businesses. Colin chairs the Construction Dust Partnership, an industry collaboration directly involving many organisations, including the Health and Safety Executive. He is a Post Graduate Tutor at Strathclyde University and a highly sought-after health and safety speaker and trainer. He has a Post Graduate Certificate in Safety and Risk management, an engineering degree and is a Chartered Member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).