Health Hazards

Noise — Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005

• Lower EAV: 80 dB(A) / 135 dB(C) peak — employer must assess exposure, provide hearing protection on request, inform and train workers.
• Upper EAV: 85 dB(A) / 137 dB(C) peak — employer must reduce noise by engineering/organisational controls; mandatory hearing-protection zones; health surveillance.
• ELV: 87 dB(A) / 140 dB(C) peak — must NOT be exceeded (this limit accounts for protection actually worn).

EAV = Exposure Action Value. ELV = Exposure Limit Value. Noisy tasks (SDS drilling, breaking, angle grinding) routinely exceed 85 dB(A). Source: https://www.hse.gov.uk/noise/regulations.htm

Hand-Arm Vibration (HAVS) — Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005

• EAV: 2.5 m/s² A(8) — introduce controls, health surveillance, inform and train workers.
• ELV: 5.0 m/s² A(8) — must NOT be exceeded; if reached, identify cause and take immediate action.

Symptoms: blanching (whitening) of fingers (vibration white finger), tingling and numbness, loss of grip strength and dexterity, pain and tenderness. HAVS can become permanent — report early symptoms. There is no cure once the damage is done.

High-risk tools: angle grinders, pneumatic breakers, hammer drills, chainsaws, plate compactors. Source: https://www.hse.gov.uk/vibration/hav/regulations.htm

Dust Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs) — HSE EH40 / COSHH 2002

• Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS): 0.1 mg/m³ — carcinogen; reduce ALARP; 0.1 mg/m³ is NOT a safe level.
• General respirable dust: 4 mg/m³
• General inhalable dust: 10 mg/m³
• Hardwood dust: 1 mg/m³ — carcinogen; reduce ALARP
• Softwood dust: 5 mg/m³

High-RCS tasks: cutting/breaking concrete, brick, or stone; drilling into masonry; scabbling/grinding concrete; tunnelling; dry sweeping silica-containing dust.

Health effects of silica dust: silicosis (irreversible lung scarring; can be fatal), lung cancer (RCS is a classified carcinogen), COPD. Symptoms may not appear for many years. Source: https://www.hse.gov.uk/lung-disease/silicosis.htm

Asbestos

Three types: white (chrysotile), brown (amosite), blue (crocidolite). ALL are dangerous. Colour alone cannot reliably identify the type — never assume it is safe based on colour.

Found in buildings built or refurbished before 2000. Diseases: mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis. Latency 15–60 years — there is no safe level of exposure and no cure for mesothelioma.

Golden rule: suspect ACM → STOP work immediately → do NOT disturb or damage → REPORT to supervisor → keep others away. General operatives must never attempt to remove or handle suspected ACMs. Source: https://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/healthrisks/cancer-and-construction/asbestos.htm