Page 49 - Build 153

...for every person who dies in a workplace incident, 10 are likely to die from a work-related health condition.
Staff from WorkSafe’s construction programme are engaging with industry on this issue through nationwide roadshows. Inspectors have been specifically trained on these airborne contaminants and are out supporting workplaces to deal with them.
Mobile unit visits rebuild sites
The Clean Air programme is already well under way in Christchurch. The Canterbury Rebuild programme has been building awareness of airborne contaminants through events like trade breakfast sessions for construction workers.
WorkSafe has organised a mobile occupational health van, sta ed by two experienced occupational health nurses, that has done two tours of rebuild sites. Over 900 construction workers were seen by the nurses, with 300 of them choosing to have a free mini health check. They all received advice on how to make sure personal protective equipment is tted correctly and information on health risks.
Steps companies can take
What can businesses do to keep their workers healthy when exposed to respirable crystalline silica and organic solvents?
● Consider a di erent way of doing the work, if possible.
● Fit extraction systems, and make sure they are working properly.
● Use water suppression systems to reduce dust.
● Get respiratory protective equipment for workers, and make sure they know why and how to use it.
● Get sta ’s health monitored annually to help ensure the controls are working and to detect early symptoms of work-related ill health.
Expanding the programme
The Clean Air programme is WorkSafe’s initial focus for occupational health. Over the coming months, the focus will expand to areas such as welding fumes and wood dust, which can cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic lung disease respectively.
WorkSafe wants people to start thinking of health like safety, but it cannot do this alone. Everyone needs to work together to keep people healthy at work.
For more Go to http://construction.worksafe.govt.nz.
For information on managing occupational health exposures and
Hazards
respiratory protection, visit www.business.govt.nz/worksafe/tools-resources.
Build 153 — April/May 2016 — 47
FEATURE SECTION