The Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Construction Industry Federation have teamed up with the Construction Workers Health Trust (CWHT) to promote clean air practices that reduce dust and contaminated air on all construction sites.
Silica dust, in particular, while a natural substance found in construction materials, is particularly hazardous to construction workers.
The campaign which is supported by SIPTU and BATU encourages construction sites to monitor their air quality and, if they endeavour to use the following safe systems of work, they can apply for a Clean Air Site flag:
- Use equipment with on-tool extraction when cutting, drilling, or chasing
- Use physical barriers and exclusion zones to prevent silica dust from moving into other work areas or towards other workers
- Dampen down areas before cleaning
- Use wet/dry vacuums with HEPA filters to gather dust
- Use paver and block splitters instead of cutting
- Use water suppression with non-electric tools, e.g. concrete saws
- Ensure workers are aware of and understand the hazards associated with silica dust, the safety control measures being communicated and the records being kept
- Provide appropriate respirable protective equipment based on RAMS
Application must be made by the PSCS.
For more information and link to application process see link.