--- title: "Construction safety update: HSE to crack down on dust" description: "More than 3,500 builders die each year from cancers related to their work, with thousands more cases of ill-health and working days lost. Many caused by dust in the workplace. This month HSE are raising awareness of diseases caused by dust. These illnesses kill around 100 times..." canonical: "https://www.safety-management.co.uk/news/construction-safety-update-hse-to-crack-down-on-dust" type: "Article" publishedAt: "2020-10-15T15:43:29" modifiedAt: "2021-04-27T16:33:43" keywords: "Construction News" --- # Construction safety update: HSE to crack down on dust More than 3,500 builders die each year from cancers related to their work, with thousands more cases of ill-health and working days lost. Many caused by dust in the workplace. This month HSE are raising awareness of diseases caused by dust. These illnesses kill around 100 times... Canonical URL: https://www.safety-management.co.uk/news/construction-safety-update-hse-to-crack-down-on-dust ## Article More than [3,500 builders die each year](https://press.hse.gov.uk/2020/09/24/health-and-safety-executive-cracks-down-on-dust/?utm_campaign=con-dust-20&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=) from cancers related to their work, with thousands more cases of ill-health and working days lost. Many caused by dust in the workplace. This month HSE are raising awareness of diseases caused by dust. These illnesses kill around 100 times as many workers as are killed in construction accidents. HSE inspectors will be targeting construction firms across the UK to check that their health standards are up to scratch during a month-long inspection initiative. Inspections will focus on **respiratory risks** and **occupational lung disease**; looking at the **measures businesses have in place** to protect their workers’ lungs from the likes of silica and wood dust, from activities such as cutting curbs and bricks, and carpentry. While the primary focus will be on health during this programme of inspections, if a HSE inspector identifies any other **areas of concern**, they will take the **necessary enforcement action** to deal with them. This will include making sure that businesses are doing all they can to protect their workers from the risk of coronavirus and make workplaces COVID-secure. If you have any concerns about dust in the workplace or would like to discuss the Health and Safety measures in your business, please [contact us](/contact#contact-form). ## Related guidance - [Practical Health & Safety Support: Knowing Where to Start and What to Do Next](/news/practical-health-safety-support-knowing-where-to-start-and-what-to-do-next): Managing health and safety can feel straightforward when everything is running smoothly. Policies have been written, risk assessments have been completed, and there have been no recent incidents. However, many organisations reach a point where they begin to ask more fundamental... - [Why Retained Health & Safety Support Gives Leaders Greater Confidence](/news/why-retained-health-safety-support-gives-leaders-greater-confidence): For senior operations, health and safety and facilities leaders, the challenge is rarely a lack of documentation. Most organisations already have policies, risk assessments and procedures in place, and many have competent people responsible for maintaining them. The more difficu... - [How Workplace Safety Audits Help You Focus on What Actually Matters](/news/how-workplace-safety-audits-help-you-focus-on-what-actually-matters): A workplace safety audit is often associated with compliance, paperwork and preparing for inspections. While these are all important aspects of health and safety management, they are not the primary reason for carrying out an audit. The real value of a workplace safety audit UK... - [What Should You Do After a Near Miss in the Workplace? A Practical Guide for Businesses](/news/what-should-you-do-after-a-near-miss-in-the-workplace-a-practical-guide-for-businesses): A near miss in the workplace is an incident that had the potential to cause injury, ill health, damage to property or interruption to business operations but, fortunately, did not result in harm. While it may be tempting to regard these incidents as isolated events because no on... ## Explore local coverage - [Explore local coverage](/locations): Browse support across regions, towns, services and sectors. - [Health & Safety Consultancy in Bedfordshire](/services/health-safety/bedfordshire): Health & Safety Consultancy coverage linked to Bedfordshire businesses and surrounding towns. - [Construction support in Bedfordshire](/sectors/construction/bedfordshire): Construction guidance connected to Bedfordshire operations and site risk. - [Health & Safety Consultancy in Bedford](/services/health-safety/bedfordshire/bedford): Health & Safety Consultancy support for Bedford and nearby areas including Luton, Dunstable.