HSE states that regularly breathing construction dust can cause lung cancer, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and silicosis, and that common construction tasks can create high dust levels.
Source: UK HSE: Construction dust — health risks and controls ↗Dust entry
Construction dust
Airborne dust generated by common construction activities such as cutting, grinding, drilling, sanding, and dry sweeping; composition and hazard depend on the material being worked.
Airborne form
dust
The form describes what is suspended in air at the point of exposure. A material can produce more than one form, such as dust during handling and fume during heating.
Health effects
lung cancersilicosischronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseasthmaairway and lung damage
Evidence
Controls
- material and task assessment
- dust suppression
- on-tool extraction
- wet methods
- vacuum cleaning
- exposure monitoring
- appropriate respiratory protection