Page 100 - Safety and health in construction

Safety and health in construction

(b) reducing the exposure of workers;

(c) providing personal hearing protection.

17.8.2. Employers should consider the following developments and
improvements in machines and processes:
(a) pneumatic drills and jackhammers to be replaced by hydraulic and electro-
pneumatic hammers;

(b) remote operation for vibrators, jackhammers and drills;
(c) acoustic enclosure and improved design for compressed air discharges, and the
cutters, blades and exhausts of internal combustion engines as well as the engines
themselves;
(d) better means of supporting or holding manually operated tools in order to reduce
the effects of vibration or better vibration damping on vehicle controls and seats.

17.8.3. Employers should give priority to the reduction of the duration of workers'
exposure to noise and vibration when operating:
(a) jackhammers, drills and compressors;

(b) high impact noise tools such as cartridge-operated guns;

(c) manually operated vibratory tools, especially those operated upwards or in a cold
environment.

17.8.4. Employers should provide personal protective equipment where the
harmful effects of noise and vibration will be experienced by workers; this should
include:
(a) hearing protection in accordance with national laws and regulations, which can be
worn with a safety helmet;

(b) in the case of vibration, suitable protective gloves.

17.9. Biological agents

17.9.1. In areas where biological agents pose a hazard, preventive measures
should be taken which take account of the mode of transmission; in particular:
– the provision of sanitation and information for workers;
– action against vectors, such as rats and insects;

– chemical prophylaxis and immunisation;
– the availability of antidotes and suitable preventive and curative medicine, mainly in
rural areas;
– the supply of protective clothing and other appropriate precautions.

88