Common materials used on construction sites can produce plenty of waste and contaminants, in the form of dust, and liquid spills.
The larger waste can be removed regularly and efficiently by a professional construction waste removal contractor.
Unfortunately, the smaller, harmful particles and liquids can pose a serious risk to the health of your staff if they’re not dealt with properly.
For example, the use of a number of tools inevitably produces dust contaminants – sanding, drilling, sawing and grinding all create particles that spread across all manner of surfaces.
Even a process as simple as sweeping can result in dust particles becoming airborne, and spreading to other parts of the building site.
Ultimately, the vast majority of this dust, as well as liquid spills, settle on the floor surface. It’s imperative that this is cleaned regularly and comprehensively.
The best practice is to have a sweep and scrub contractor regularly sweep and scrub the concrete surfaces on your construction site.
Otherwise, dust and liquid contaminants can pose a serious threat to the health of your staff.
Dust
The nature of works on a construction site, and the materials that are used means dust is a constant problem.
Inhaling dust in any environment can be quite harmful, especially when exposure is prolonged for an extended period of time.
On a building site, there are three kinds of dust. They are wood dust, silica dust and dust that is considered lower toxicity.
Wood dust is produced through activities like sawing, sanding and drilling into wooden fittings and framing. Wood dust can irritate the respiratory system and cause asthma.
Furthermore, in extreme cases, wood dust can contribute to the development of lung cancer later in life.
Silica dust is the most harmful of the three types of dust. It comes from materials which include silica, such as concrete, mortar and sandstone.
Consistently breathing in these particles can result in cancer, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. It can also cause irritation to the eyes and skin.
Thirdly, lower toxicity dusts can still be dangerous to your workers. They come from materials like plaster and marble. While they contain little or no silica, they can still cause irritation to the eyes and respiratory system.
The answer – have the concrete surfaces of your construction site regularly cleaned by Sydney Sweep and Scrub.
We clean all manner of dust from your concrete surfaces with our water based sweep and scrub process, neutralising particles instead of simply spreading them about.
Spills
Another common risk factor on building sites is liquid spills.
Chemicals and fuels are present in almost all construction environments and some of these liquids inevitably end up on the floor.
Unfortunately, these spills can be just as harmful to your workers as the dust contaminants mentioned above.
And it’s not only slip and fall injuries that present a risk when it comes to spills.
Solvents such as paint, sprays and fuel can be harmful to both the lungs and skin. Solvents can affect the nervous system and the brain, and can lead to problems with the heart, cancer, kidney and liver damage and in extreme cases, death.
The most common and immediate symptoms to overexposure to solvents can include stomach pain, dizziness and nausea.
Another common liquid found on almost all building sites is cement, which can cause skin irritation and burns, as well as present a slip hazard.
Lastly, isocyanates like foam and glues can exacerbate asthma and irritate the skin. Inflammation of the skin can occur on direct contact, and it can cause eye irritation and affect the gastrointestinal system.
Thankfully, Sydney Sweep and Scrub have plenty of experience in cleaning up potentially dangerous spills and stains on construction sites.
With our cutting-edge machinery, we can professionally clean up all manner of liquid spills, ensuring your workers are safe.
As part of our commitment to sustainability, we operate with the utmost care, taking every precaution to protect the environment.
Hire a professional sweep and scrub contractor, so your workers can breathe easy.
For more information, get in touch with Sydney Sweep and Scrub here.
