Occupational hygienists in construction projects; a success story

6 May 2013

Preventative workplace health management in construction projects can lead to time and money savings together with health benefits.

By involving occupational hygienists in construction projects, time and money can be saved. That is the conclusion from a study performed by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES), which was executed during the construction of the Olympic Park in London. With preventative workplace health management, occupational hygienists were involved in the design phase of the project to enlarge the focus on workers health.

This conclusion is supported by practical examples (cases) and cost-effectiveness analysis of these cases and the entire project, which shows that an on-site occupational hygienist-team reduces the likelihood of unforseen risks and that, in case of a risky situation, an effective solution is created more quickly than when occupational hygienists are deployed on an ad-hoc basis. The result is a reduced disruption of schedule and budget.

An example: in case of sudden odor, health risks could be excluded quickly because potential contaminants were mapped beforehand. The result was a saving of 100.000 pounds since work stoppage was avoided.

 

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