Construction workers: WATCH OUT!

Everybody  waits for the weather to start getting closer to summer days for some remodeling and renovations. Certain projects are small scale ones while others involve a much bigger mini-construction that starts off at the beginning of a summer and seems to never end after many months.

If these sites are in clustered residential areas, their activities might put the neighbors at health risks. Imagine a 500m by 500m piece of land having 9 low-rise buildings and houses! Imagine as well this scenario to be in a kind-of-a-mountain area where people depend on getting fresh clean air! Bummer.

Construction and renovations might involve concrete dust exposure that might contain as well several hazardous substances such as crystalline silica. These have a negative side effect on the lungs. Exposure to this kind of dust might lead to COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), asthma, silicosis, and more pronounced diseases.

So, if you live in similar areas with construction sites around, it is time to put your home in hermitage. Don’t even think about opening windows and doors or sitting at balconies. Make sure to have a good ventilation by turning on your fans and AC units.

A study done in 2001 at University of Utrecht showed that workers exposed to low levels of concrete dust (containing crystalline silica) are  at risk of developing mild cases of COPD.

Also, a research done at King Khalid University in 2004 explained how the daily exposure to dusty construction environments might lead to COPD,, restrictive lung diseases, pneumoconiosis and several types of cancers. What can be alarming is that cement dust can enter the blood circulation and eventually reach all organs and alter the normal functioning of their tissues. This is a wake up call for construction workers who need to take pronounced preventive measures in order to keep their lungs and bodies in good shapes.

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