Page 88 - Build 152

Departments/Health and safety By Mike Cosman, Partner, Cosman Parkes
Dying for a job?
On-site safety is improving but construction jobs still have plenty of health hazards. View health like safety is the mantra for limiting the many incidences of ill health in the industry.
THERE HAS BEEN considerable attention in recent years on improving construction safety standards in areas such as work at height, plant and machinery, excavations, lifting and slinging.
It is commendable that the rate of death from these has fallen considerably, although serious injury numbers are still worryingly high (see Figure 1). Progress from the commercial and horizontal construction sectors is now owing through to the residen- tial sector, helped by the experience of the Canterbury rebuild and the Charter Group.
Work causing ill health
What is less well known and understood is the toll of work-related ill health attributable to construction-related activities.
Our best estimates suggest that 700–900 premature deaths each year are attributable to work of all kinds. The biggest number (170–300) is caused by exposure to asbestos, largely a ecting those working in construc- tion-related trades. Most of these people were unaware at the time that they were working with asbestos-containing materials.
Other prevalent respiratory diseases include silicosis and lung cancer and not only from smoking. Conditions caused by exposure to solvents, isocyanates, diesel particulates, UV and a variety of other organic and synthetic materials also occur.
This is only the tip of a very large iceberg when non-fatal conditions caused by exposure to noise and vibration, dermatitis and chronic musculoskeletal disorders are included.
Focus moving to health as well
With a highly transient construction work- force, it’s easy to think occupational health is someone else’s problem. That’s because the chances of being able to attribute a case of ill health to a particular worksite or employer are pretty slim.
While WorkSafe NZ and its predecessors have traditionally been fairly weak in their approach to occupational health and few prosecutions or other enforcement actions have been taken, this is changing.
Tips to view health as you view safety
International experience from mega-projects like the London 2012 Olympics demonstrate the need to view health like safety. In other words, ensure that all core processes from design, speci cation, work methods, risk assessments, monitoring and supervision address the full range of chronic as well as acute risks.
These projects often use a simple tra c light system to identify prohibited, controlled and inherently safer substances, processes and equipment.
If the architect or engineer speci es an acrylic paint, rather one containing VOCs or isocyanates, it will be intrinsically safer and reduce the need for strict controls at the point of use.
Quieter and vibration-dampened breakers and drills can be used for extended periods without putting workers at risk or requiring uncomfortable personal protective equip- ment (PPE) to be worn.
Air-conditioned machine cabs with well maintained lters and with the doors shut can protect drivers from a wide range of contaminants, whilst using water sprays also reduces the risk to others.
Clients and main contractors are increas- ingly looking for evidence on these kinds of processes when they select their supply chain.
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86 — February/March 2016 — Build 152
2010 2011
2012 2013 2014
2015
Figure 1: Construction-related fatalities reported to WorkSafe. 2015 data is provisional.
Construction fatalities