If you own a construction company, there is always a chance of accidents happening. There are also health risks to your employees that you may not be aware of. Below are two health risks you may find in your construction site and things you can do about them.

Road Dust

If you are working where there is a dusty road, the large trucks and other equipment can stir a lot of dust up any time they drive over the road. Road dust can lead to many health risks. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to minimize the amount of dust on the roads, including the following:

  • Water the road: Watering the road causes the dust particles to stick together so they turn the dust to a more mud like substance. The only drawback is this is only a short term solution to this problem, as the roads will have to be watered over and over. How often this is depends on the weather conditions.
  • Cover the road with gravel:  Applying gravel to the road provides a hard surface so vehicle wheels do not actually touch the dust. This is also not a permanent solution. Over time, the vehicles will remove the gravel or cause the gravel to sink deeper below the dust. One way to fix this problem is by putting a crushed aggregate under the gravel for an extra protection layer.
  • Calcium chloride: This chemical absorbs moisture from the air and retains the moisture for long periods of time. This allows the roads to stay damp longer.
  • Reduce speed: Make sure your employees know not to drive fast over the dusty roads, as this will stir up even more dust.

Arm and Hand Vibration Syndrome

You will also hear arm and hand vibration syndrome referred to as "blue finger." This is a debilitating and painful disease of the joints, nerves, and blood vessels. It is caused by prolonged use of vibratory ground working equipment and power tools. Equipment and tools that are not properly maintained may vibrate even more. This can be very detrimental to the employee because it is irreparable.

To prevent this from happening, train several employees on how to use the vibratory equipment so not one person will have to do the same job for long periods of time. Make sure all of your equipment is maintained.

Follow these tips so you can help keep you and your employees healthy while working on your construction site.

For more information, talk with safety inspectors or road dust control companies. 

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