EXECUTIVE REPORT
Hilti seizes the RCS agenda
Workplace dust has been a hazard to health as long as people have been drilling and cutting such materials as concrete, bricks, stone and wood, but Hilti has developed a system that minimises the risks. Andy McVittie dons his PPE and went to Hilti’s Manchester-based HQ to find out more.
Workplace dust - specifically, respirable crystalline silica (RCS) - has been deemed the ‘silent killer’ of construction sites. Research from Imperial College London suggests around 900 new cases of lung cancer in the UK every year are caused by previous exposure to RCS, while there are approximately 800 deaths globally within the same time frame. In the face of such stark statistics, an All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Respiratory Health is pressing the Government to lower exposure limits far beneath existing standards. For all of that, my trip to Hilti was as much a cordial meet and greet as it was an opportunity to get hands-on with the company’s on-tool dust extraction system.
The day began with a review of Hilti’s history and structure. The business has presence on a global scale, with a reputation for solid and reliable equipment, but it was still surprising to learn that some 60% of the population of the Lichtenstein town where it’s headquarters is located are employees. Back in Salford, the conversation soon turned to the topic of RCS and Hilti’s typically four-year product development cycle that predates the current Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and APPG recommendations.
Regarding the former, the HSE has recently classed RCS as a carcinogen to further emphasise the seriousness of the issue, while an APPG has called for Workplace Exposure Limits to be reduced to 0.05mg/m3
from the current 0.1mg/m3 , which is in line with limits already set in Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Finland. Such figures and the
“Hilti wants to raise awareness of the problem and the solutions available. There have been a number of reasons why the issue has been difficult for users to appreciate. One is the fact that conditions like cancer are often long-term and can occur many years after exposure - it is a less obvious hazard than, say, a fall from height or being run over by a vehicle. This has led to a reduced sense of urgency.
'System 1' is the Hilti equipment, with a clear advantage demonstrated over the two rival systems also tested in the independent HSE report.
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“Another factor is the structure of the construction industry itself. Many contractors are small businesses, perhaps with limited access to formal Health & Safety advice. Indeed, 38% of construction workers are self-employed. This fragmentation can mean that fewer people are involved in monitoring safety, and workers have limited access to information and resources about the hazards. A large contractor will have a dedicated Health & Safety department, but many small companies will not.
Hilti has overcome the problem of reliable, continuous dust extraction on its petrol saw with an onboard water pump.
wider health concerns have long been on the mind of General Manager GB and Region Head Northern Europe, Matias Järnefelt, as he explains: “The UK construction industry employs approximately 2.4 million people, and site contractors have a responsibility to make sure they all go home safe and well at the end of the working day,” he begins. “Respirable crystalline silica dust, which is released when cutting concrete and other common construction materials, is a particular hazard as the most harmful particles are virtually invisible to the naked eye and can be inhaled. This can lead to cancer and a range of other serious diseases, as well as conditions such as asthma.
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