11
MSPS1200 by MACAllister
Before you start
The updated Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1st October
2012 now also targets to reduce the risks associated with silica, wood and gypsum
dusts.
Construction workers are one of the at-risk groups within this because of the dust that
they breathe: silica dust is not just a nuisance; it is a real risk to your lungs!
Silica is a natural mineral present in large amounts in things like sand, sandstone and
granite. It is also commonly found in many construction materials such as concrete and
mortar. The silica is broken into very fine dust (also known as Respirable Crystalline
Silica or RCS) during many common tasks such as cutting, drilling and grinding
Breathing in very fine particles of crystalline silica can lead to the development of:
Lung cancer Silicosis Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (Chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) And breathing in fine particles of wood dust can lead to the
development of Asthma The risk of lung disease is linked to people who regularly
breathe construction dust over a period of time, not on the odd occasion.
To protect the lung, the COSHH Regulations sets a limit on the amount of these dusts
that you can breathe (called a Workplace Exposure Limit or WEL) when averaged over
a normal working day. These limits are not a large amount of dust: when compared to
a penny it is tiny – like a small pinch of salt:
This limit is the legal maximum; the most you can breathe after the right controls have
been used.
How to reduce the amount of dust?
1 Reduce the amount of cutting by using the best sizes of building products.
2 Use a less powerful tool e.g. a block cutter instead of angle grinder.
3 Using a different method of work altogether – e.g. using a nail gun to direct fasten
cable trays instead of drilling holes first.
Please always work with approved safety equipment, such as those dust masks that
specially designed to filter out microscopic particles and use the dust extraction facility
at all time.
For more information please see the HSE website:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction or http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/cis69.pdf
Warning: Some dust particles created by power sanding, sawing, grinding,
drill and other construction jobs contain chemicals known to cause cancer, birth
defects or other reproductive harm.
Some examples of these chemicals are:
• Lead from lead-based paints.
• Crystalline silica from bricks and cement and other masonry products.
• Arsenic and chromium from chemically treated timber.
Your risk from these exposures varies, depending upon how often you do this type of
work. To reduce your exposure to these chemicals:
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ADDITIONAL SAFETY WARNING FOR CONSTRUCTION DUST
Summary of Contents for MSPS1200
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