Informa Markets

Author Bio ▼

Safety and Health Practitioner (SHP) is first for independent health and safety news.
March 17, 2010

Construction workers exposed to poisonous dust

A construction company failed to identify that lead paint was present during a renovation project, which resulted in two workers being admitted to hospital with acute lead poisoning.

Perth Sheriff Court, sitting on 16 March, heard that Blairish Restoration Ltd had been contracted to carry out restoration work on a 19th-century mansion in Strathtay, Perthshire.

The property still had intact its original paintwork, which contained lead. Workers were exposed to poisonous lead dust when they sanded down the paint. The work continued for a number of months during the summer of 2008, during which the dust spread to workers’ homes via their clothing.

In October 2008, two workers at the site were admitted to hospital suffering from abdominal pains. Tests were carried out on both men, which identified trace of lead in their blood. The hospital contacted the HSE who immediately visited the site and began an investigation.

The company was issued with an Improvement Notice, which required it to use industrial vacuums to clear the dust from the site. It was also instructed to issue workers with adequate PPE and respiratory protection, and to create a management system to separate other workers on the site from coming into contact with the dust. The Notice also stated that washing facilities needed to be installed, so that workers could shower after coming into contact with the dust.

HSE inspector Gary Stimpson said: “This case is important as it reminds primary contractors of their responsibility and duty of care to others working on the site – even if they are not directly employed by them.

“Exposure to lead can result in significant and debilitating symptoms such as anaemia, nausea and constipation, and even nerve, brain, and kidney damage.

“There may be a view that lead is an historic problem, which was dealt with a long time ago. This prosecution shows that this is not the case. Those involved in renovating old buildings need to be particularly vigilant. Once dust or fume is generated from operations such as sanding, it easily enters the body through normal breathing or swallowing, where it accumulates, causing debilitating symptoms.”
 
Blairish Restoration Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching s3(1) of the HSWA and was fined £10,000. No costs are awarded in Scotland.

In mitigation, the firm said it had voluntarily stopped work at the site until the investigation was completed. It complied with the terms of the Improvement Notice and entered an early guilty plea.
 

Approaches to managing the risks associated Musculoskeletal disorders

In this episode of the Safety & Health Podcast, we hear from Matt Birtles, Principal Ergonomics Consultant at HSE’s Science and Research Centre, about the different approaches to managing the risks associated with Musculoskeletal disorders.

Matt, an ergonomics and human factors expert, shares his thoughts on why MSDs are important, the various prevalent rates across the UK, what you can do within your own organisation and the Risk Management process surrounding MSD’s.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments