Construction sites are dangerous places. This industry has one of the highest injury rates across all industries in the UK. Workers must contend with the dangers of working at height, slips, trips, falls and accidents involving moving machinery, to name just a few.

However, simply breathing is potentially a dangerous activity on a construction site due to deadly dust. Some dusts, like silica and wood are known carcinogens, which can increase the risk of cancer. There are a whole group of dust related diseases and common symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, chest pain and fatigue. They can be extremely debilitating and even fatal.

Silent Killer

The construction industry suffers from a higher than average number of lung-related health issues, often stemming from occupational dust exposure. Most cancers in construction are lung cancers caused by exposure to asbestos and silica (Respirable Crystalline Silica or RCS). Dust is a silent and almost invisible killer. For every fatal accident in 2012-13, there were 100 construction workers who died from a work-related cancer. It is a simple fact that dust can kill. 

Not acceptable in the 21st Century

Peter Crosland, National Civil Engineering director said:

“Construction workers still die every week from respiratory illnesses brought on by their work and this is clearly not acceptable in the 21st century.” Implementing ventilation systems and dust suppression techniques, such as washing down can help to combat the problem of dust caused by construction.”

 Dust Kills Campaign

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have brought in strict regulation of the industry in order to protect the workforce from dangerous conditions on construction sites. The Dust Kills campaign emphasises that risk of dust exposure must be considered throughout projects.

Michael Thomas, HSE’s Chief Inspector of construction, stated that:

“Our inspectors will visit a range of construction sites to check businesses are taking the necessary action to ensure their workers’ long term respiratory health is being protected.”

Using personal protective equipment, having regular medical check-ups and educating the workforce about the risks of dust exposure are essential in the battle against dust.

Dust Control with Dulevo 

Dulevo Fayat Group, with over 40 years of experience, is the leading Italian manufacturer of street cleaning machinery. Operating in more than 80 countries worldwide, they have developed exceptional dust control technology in their range of street sweepers, scrubbers and washers. Have a look at the Dulevo 75 ride-on sweeper or the Dulevo 90.

Thanks to more than 15 years of research, Dulevo have developed superb filtration technology that can capture particles. Designed to filter even the finest dust (down to 3 Microns), ensures that this is the ideal machine for environments with a high concentration of fine dust particles. The Dulevo 75 can be equipped with the Kayser filtering system, which can filter up to PM10 and comes with a 5 year guarantee.

 A Dulevo Boost Combi sweeper and washer is the perfect solution for dusty environments. It combines both sweeper and scrubber in one machine, ensuring that any deadly dust is effectively controlled. A special fabric filtering system ensures that only clean air is released after the sweeping and suction systems have collected the dust.

At the same time, the washing brushes at the rear of the machine are activated and the dirty water is removed by a squeegee, making the area clean and safe. 

Contact us at Lincoln Cleaning Technology to find out more about how to win the battle against the deadly dust.