Health & Safety Management for Quarries

Topic Six

Health Assessment &

Surveillance
 Objectives of this Section

• To outline the difference between safety and

health hazards.
• To demonstrate a practical methodology for
undertaking health risk assessments.
• To outline the reasons for undertaking health
surveillance.
• To identify some common health hazards
present in the quarrying industry.
 Introduction

• Health and safety law places a duty on

employers to ensure the health as well as the
safety of their employees.
• Yet each year many more people become ill
as a result of their work than are killed or
injured in industrial accidents.
• Most diseases caused by work do not kill, but
can involve years of pain, suffering and
discomfort for those affected.
 Health and Safety
Problems with identifying health risks:
• The health risk may not be understood or well
defined and the cause/effect relationship not
established.
• Health risks tend not to attract widespread
publicity or demand the same urgent attention
as safety risks.
• Health risks appear to have little, if any, short
term effect and it may be that ill-health does not
occur for many years after exposure.
 Health and Safety

• Health risks may be more difficult to address,

resulting in attention being directed to risks where
control is more visible and likely to attract tangible
benefits.
• Comprehensive data on the occupational ill-health
may simply not exist in many cases and in practice,
the true extent of occupationally related ill-health may
be unknown.
 Typical Health Risks
Risks to health from work activities
include:
• Skin contact with irritant substances,
leading to dermatitis etc.
• Inhalation of respiratory sensitisers,
triggering immune responses such as
asthma.
• Badly designed workstations requiring
awkward body postures or repetitive
movements result in upper limb disorders,
repetitive strain injury and other
musculoskeletal conditions.
 Typical Health Risks
• Noise levels which are too high,
causing deafness and conditions such
as tinnitus.
• Too much vibration, e.g. from hand-
held tools leading to hand arm
vibration syndrome and circulatory
problems.
• Exposure to ionising and non-ionising
radiation including ultraviolet in the
sun’s rays causing burns, sickness
and skin cancer.
 Occupational Health

Occupational health is about protecting the

physical and mental health of workers and
ensuring their continual welfare in their
working environment.
 Occupational Health
Important aspects of occupational health
include:
• Ensuring fitness and physical capability to perform
a job safely.
• Health education and promotion.
• Providing medical services including health
surveillance.
• Rehabilitation after illness or injury.
Health Risk Management
START

Workplace risk assessment

No Risk Measure Exposure:

uncertain risk
STOP  airborne -OEL’s
known risk

Select control measures for:

 exposure, and
 spread of contamination

elimination
engineering
administration
Review if: personal protective equipment
 significant changes
 new information
 every 2-5 years

Ensure Ensure use of controls:

Monitoring Programme continuing  information, instruction, training
 design effectiveness  rules and procedures
 implement of controls  supervision
 Hazard Identification

• Most hazards can be identified based on knowledge

and observation of the work activity, though specialist
advice or assistance may be necessary.

• The most common agents likely to present health

hazards at quarries are
 Dust Noise Vibration Oil, Skin Manual Eyesight Welding Asbestos DSE
Fuel, respiratory handling fume
Grease sensitisers

Weighbridge                 

Office Staff                 

Loading Shovel       ?       

Dumper       ?       

Plant Operator    ?   ?      ?

Crusher Operator    ?   ?      ?

Foreman   ? ?   ?       

Driller   ? ?          

Shotfirer   ? ?          

Fitter   ?      ? ?
Electrician   ?         ?

Manager   ? ?         ?
 Risk Assessment

The two major elements that need to be

considered are:

• The potential consequences of exposure to the

hazard.
• The potential exposure to the hazard.
Risk Assessment (2)

 Hazardous  Physical form;

properties  Quantity
 Activities

Potential Potential of
severity Exposure

Risk of
Harm
 Potential Severity
The potential severity of exposure to the hazard
is related to the properties of the hazard. For
example:

• The toxicity of a chemical.

• The sound pressure level at the operators ear and the
frequency of a noise source.
• The intensity and penetrability of ionising radiation.
 Potential Exposure

Potential for exposure means the opportunity

to do harm. In assessing the potential
exposure to the hazard, it is necessary to
consider:
• The proportion of the work force who are or will be
exposed to the hazard (in particular the frequency of
exposure and length of time of exposure).
• Any risk reducing control measures that are in place
and their effectiveness in reducing the risk.
 Potential Exposure

• Where necessary some form of sampling and

exposure measurements should be undertaken to
determine the extent of the hazard at the time of the
assessment.
• These can then be compared with any occupational
exposure limits (such as TLV’s and OEL’s) that have
been set for the industry, as well as any in-house
standards.
• Such exposure measurements may also assist in
determining any remedial action that is necessary.
 Controlling the Risk

If the assessment of risk shows that further

action is necessary, then control measures
should be selected according to the hierarchy
of risk control:
 Hierarchy of Risk Control

• Elimination of the risk. This can be achieved through

redesigning the activity or equipment to eliminate the
release of the hazard.
• Reduction of the risk at source through engineering
controls. This can be achieved by enclosing the
activity or equipment to capture and/or absorb the
hazard, dilute the hazard or release it into a safer
place.
• Minimising the risk through procedural controls. This
involves implementing systems and procedures so that
work is carried out in a particular way that limits
exposure to the hazard.
• Use of appropriate personal protective equipment
(PPE).
 Risk Control
• The use of PPE is the last resort for the control of the
exposure of employees to hazards.
• This is because PPE only protects the wearer and then
only if worn properly.
• Situations where the use of PPE may be necessary are:

• Where adequate control of

exposure cannot be achieved by
the hierarchy.
• As a ‘stop-gap; measure until
those further measures have
been introduced.
Examples of Hierarchy of Risk Control:
Noise

• Sound absorbent material around noisy machinery.

• Use of sound absorbing wall and floor materials.
• Cover the source of the noise (e.g. using hoods).
• Arranging plant and equipment to create screens and
reduce the level of reflected sound.
• Isolating workers from the noise source.
• As a last resort provide comfortable PPE.
 Ensuring the use of Control
Measures
This is a responsibility of both the employer
and employee achievable through adequate
instruction and training by:
• Working procedures, codes of practice or other
procedural controls.
• Educating the workforce on the hazards and risks
involved in their work and how control measures will
protect their health.
• Effective supervision.
 Proactive monitoring:
Sampling & Exposure monitoring

Active monitoring is achieved through

sampling and exposure monitoring in order to:
• Check the effectiveness of risk reducing control
measures, as a failure in these measures results in
an increased risk of harm occurring.
• Confirm that Occupational Exposure Limits are not
exceeded.
• Tie in with the medical surveillance programme.
 Health Surveillance

Health surveillance means having a system to

look for early signs of ill-health caused by
work in order to:

• Detect adverse effects early.

• Prevent further harm being caused.
 Health Surveillance

The criteria for carrying out occupational health

surveillance are:
• There is an identifiable disease or condition
associated with the work.
• There are valid techniques to detect the condition at
an early stage.
• There is reasonable likelihood that the disease or
condition will occur in the particular circumstances of
the exposure.
• That health surveillance will be of benefit to
individuals or groups of workers.
 Appendix 1: Hazard information from
QPA Guide

 
Dust Noise

Substance Whilst dust is present in all quarries, Quarrying is a noisy industry, typical
/ Hazard the nature of the dust presents levels being:
differing levels of risk. In general the Primary Crusher: 89-108 dB(A)
highest risk is presented by dusts Hand Drill: 106 - 110 dB(A)
containing high levels of respirable
crystalline silica. Limestone may have
no free silica. Flint may be in excess of
90%.
Possible Exposure to dust can affect chest Long term irreversible hearing loss.
Ill Health health and can result in
Effects pneumoconiosis or silicosis.
 Appendix 1: cont’d
Dust
Control Routine atmospheric dust
Level monitoring is required. EH40
“Occupational Exposure
Limits” lists standards for
various dusts. E.g.
Occupational Exposure
Standards
Limestone 10mg/m3 total
inhalable dust/4 mg/m3
respirable dust.
Coal: 2 mg/m3 respirable dust
Kaolin: 2 mg/m3 respirable
dust
Maximum Exposure Limit
Crystalline Silica: 0.3mg/m3
respirable dust
Noise
The Noise at Work Regulations
1989 set out three action levels:
1st Action Level – 85 dB(A) L EP,d
-assessment must be carried out
-ear protectors on request
2nd Action Level – 90 dB(A) L EP,d
-          reduction of exposure
required
-          ear protectors to be
provided
-          ear protection zones
required
Peak Action Level – 140 dB(A) L
EP,d
- as 2nd Action Level
 Appendix 1: cont’d
Dust
Health For new employees where a medical
Surveillance assessment is considered appropriate
medical may include a respiratory
questionnaire, lung function test and
possibly x-ray if exposure to silica is
likely.
Where operatives are exposed to levels
of respirable crystalline silica greater
than 0.1 mg/m3, the Guidance in EH59
(latest revision) should be followed.
Noise
For new employees where a medical
assessment is considered appropriate
audiometer should be carried out.
It is good practice to carry out regular
hearing checks on all employees whose
daily personal noise exposures equal or
exceed 90 dB(A); many employers
already do this. 90 dB(A) is the same as
the ‘second action level’ in NaW Regs –
the level at which protection must be
worn. The risk of hearing damage rises
significantly at exposures above this
level. Therefore, even when hearing
protection is used, hearing checks
(audiometry) should normally be
provided when noise levels reach or
exceed 95 dB(A), except where that
exposure is likely to be only temporary,
for example for a few weeks in a year.
 Appendix 1: cont’d
  Dust
Precautions Avoid generation of dust in the
first instance. Avoid exposure to
dust. Maintain seals/filters etc
for control rooms, vehicle cabs
and other ‘dust refuges’.
Where exposure cannot be
adequately control by other
means appropriate respiratory
protective equipment should be
used.
Noise
Purchase less noisy equipment
and keep it maintained.
Reduce exposure below peak
and second action level.
Provide quiet refuges.
Educate the workforce.
Only approved PPE giving
adequate attenuation should be
used.
All PPE must be properly
maintained.