2. Health hazards in the construction industry

SYNOPSIS. By the nature of its diverse activities the

Construction Industry produces a wide range of health

hazards. Because of its organisational structure and the

heterogenity of its work-force, the study of medical

conditions related to employment has been poorly developed,

and there is a dearth of established occupational health

services in the Industry to undertake this task. Common

and well-recognised occupational diseases are present at

various stages of the IndustryTs processes, and the hazards

include both chemical and physical environmental factors.

As building technology changes new hazards will be met and

new means of prevention required.

By comparison with accidents and their consequences the health of construction workers has received little attention. This may reflect a view that construction work is a "healthy" occupation or, more probably, represents an ignorance by design or default on the part of both employers and employees of any harmful consequences of the work. Where health hazards in the Construction Industry have been recognised, the associated health and environmental investigations have usually been carried out and the results established in some non-construction setting. For example, the consequences of exposure to asbestos have been intensively studied in workers in both production (mining and milling) and processing (manufacturing) industries, but scant interest has been expressed, at least as measured by health studies, in the health effects on workers in the user or contractor phases of work with this material.