Construction dust is not just a nuisance; it is a real risk to your lungs. This page tells you how to control these risks and why.
What you must do
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations[1] says you must protect against the risks from hazardous construction dusts. Follow the 'Assess, Control and Review model[2]'. You will find detailed information on these key areas below:
Industry guidance on this topic is available:
What you should know
Regularly breathing construction dust can cause diseases like lung cancer, asthma[6], Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)[7] and silicosis[8]. Construction workers have a high risk of developing these diseases because many common construction tasks[9] can create high dust levels.
These diseases cause permanent disability and early death. Over 500 construction workers are believed to die from exposure to silica dust[10] every year.
- Read some examples of the impact that dust has had on people's lives[11]
- FAQs on construction dust[12]