Every week, 100 people who have worked in construction during their lives die of diseases contracted or made worse by that work. Fewer than half of construction workers are still in the industry by the time they are 60.

The startling truth is that 100 times more construction workers will die from work-related diseases than will be killed by work-related injuries. And many, many more will suffer and be debilitated.

Yet many companies are still not doing much to protect their employees from the dangers of exposure to harmful threats such as dust and debilitating vibration, which could be controlled relatively easily.

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) clamp down on small construction sites in the summer led to 200 health-related enforcement notices being issued, where the dangers were simply being ignored just because the consequences are at some point in the future. 

To try to help companies make the construction environment safer for people working in it by managing occupational health risks, HSE and IOSH have published new guidance for firms that is available free from the websites of the two organisations.

Click here to download the HSE publication and here to see the IOSH advice.

A new guide, Occupational health risk management in construction, which you can download by clicking on the HSE link above, has been written by the Construction Industry Advisory Committee (ConIAC) Health Risks Working Group and formatted with the assistance of the Institution of Occupational Safety & Health (IOSH).

It gives practical advice on what ‘health risk’ means for the construction industry and the role of occupational health service provision in preventing or controlling those risks.

Ian Strudley, Chair of the ConIAC Health Risks Working Group and HSE Principal Specialist Inspector, says: "The misunderstanding of occupational health within the construction sector means that while the industry focuses on managing the more familiar safety issues, serious health risks get ignored. We cannot let this continue.

“When figures show that construction workers are at least 100 times more likely to die from a disease caused or made worse by their work as they are from a fatal accident, the industry must take action.”

Shelley Frost, Executive Director–Policy at IOSH, adds: “There have been huge advances in improving safety in the construction sector over the past 15 years but the industry has yet to generate such advances in improving the picture in occupational health.

“This new guide raises awareness of the occupational health issues in construction, demystifies how to best manage them and provides information as to where firms can get help and assistance.

“Ultimately, if the advice is followed, it could help to lower incidence rates of occupational ill-health and transform the perception of working in construction to that of an attractive and respectful industry with great career choices.”