Dangerous dust ignored by workers

Site managers and workers are not doing enough to tackle the dangers of inhaling work-related dust, according to a new survey.

The survey, conducted by Speedy Hire, found that 80% of site workers do not see dust as a serious health and safety problem, even though the HSE suggests that work-related dust affects 156,000 workers and causes 8000 deaths a year in Britain.

It also found that 42% of site workers are unaware of dust control policies, and 58% said they could be doing more to protect themselves against dust.

Speedy Hire group brand manager Neil Thompson said: “Given the fact that 63 times as many people die from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) than die from falls at height, our findings show a worrying lack of knowledge from some of the people that are most at risk.”

The company is launching a campaign to educate managers and workers about the range of dust prevention measures available in the market.