Dust control on construction sites
At the construction site, dust hazards are minimized with effective dust control. The planning and implementation of dust control measures based on hazard identification and risk assessment is essential.
Work involving exposure to crystalline silica dust, or quartz dust, is considered a work method that poses a risk of cancer. On a construction site, quartz dust is typically generated as a result of the machining and grinding of materials.
Quartz dust is one of the main factors causing cancer risk in the construction industry. Work involving exposure of the employee to hardwood dust is also considered a work method causing cancer risk. The employer must report its employees exposed to cancer risk to the ASA register maintained by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health every calendar year.
Quartz exposure and its management in construction
The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health carried out a research project in 2023, in which a large number of quartz dust measurements were carried out related to different construction work phases, thus determining the actual exposure in different work phases. One of the key outputs of the research project was 33 instruction cards for different work phases, which reviewed various risk management measures that can prevent or substantially reduce exposure.
Dust management must be considered throughout the construction project, from material selection during the investigation and design phase or potential hazardous substance assessments of the repair site to the actual work phase that causes quartz or other harmful dust on the construction site. Dust management should be given special attention when selecting work phases and methods.
It is also essential to communicate throughout the construction chain what the chosen methods are for implementing dust management in a company or individual site. The instruction cards provide consistent templates for this.
Reporting to the ASA register
+The employer must report its employees exposed to cancer risk to the ASA register (register of employees exposed to substances and methods causing cancer risk in their profession) maintained by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health every calendar year.
The regional occupational health and safety authorities have considered that all employees who may be exposed or have been exposed to substances and methods that pose a risk of cancer in their work, such as quartz dust or related work methods, must be notified to the ASA register. The use of personal protective equipment, such as respirators, is not taken into account as a factor reducing exposure or the risk of exposure in the ASA notification practice, but all those performing work that causes quartz dust must be notified to the ASA register if the amount of work in question exceeds the notification threshold. The notification obligation applies to the employee's own employer. The notification must be made by the end of March of the year following the calendar year.
Construction dust in the risk assessment of house construction
+Construction dust control must be included in the safety planning of the construction site and must be reflected in the risk assessments of the different work phases. The Finnish Building Construction Industry and Tapaturva Oy have prepared instructions to assist construction sites, using exposure to quartz dust as an example. The same procedure is also suitable for other construction dusts.
Download instructions to help construction sites with dust management
Measures required to minimize dust harm at the workplace = hazard identification and effective dust control
Hazard identification, risk assessment, dust control planning and communication
- Systematic mapping of works / work phases causing dust nuisance (e.g. by schedule task in the project)
- Assessment of the risk level of identified works / work phases that cause dust damage
Government Decree on Construction Safety 205/2009 § 70 subsection 6:
"If the exposure of employees to dangerous dusts and chemical agents cannot otherwise be reliably assessed, the employer must perform measurements regularly and whenever there is a change in the conditions that increases the employee's exposure. The measurement results must be compared with the limit values given for chemical factors. Factors that cause danger must be removed as separately stipulated." - Planning measures based on risk level assessment
- Information, guidance and guidance of employees
Implementation of practical dust control measures
- To prevent the occurrence of dust nuisance:
alternative materials, dust-free work methods, dust binding, targeted removal - Prevent dust from spreading from the workplace, clean the air:
compartmentalization, negative pressure and air purification with air purifiers equipped with hepa filters (* - To prevent the spread of dust from surfaces:
efficient cleaning, central vacuum cleaners, hepa filters in the vacuum cleaners - We take care of the use of personal protective equipment required for the job:
the correct personal protective equipment is selected according to the risk assessment performed* hepa = High Efficiency Particulate Air filterDust control at the construction site, click on the image to enlarge