Toolbox talk: dust and COSHH

This is a ready-to-give toolbox talk on construction dust and hazardous substances. Keep it to about five to ten minutes, run it before the work starts, and make it about the dusts and materials the crew are actually working with today. Use it as a script, adjust it to the job, and take questions at the end.

Why this matters

Construction dust is one of the biggest killers on site, and it kills quietly. Unlike a fall, nothing happens on the day. But cutting concrete, chasing brick or grinding stone releases silica dust so fine you cannot see it, and it scars the lungs over years, causing silicosis, serious breathing disease and lung cancer. Thousands of construction workers die from it every year. The point of this talk is that the dust is controlled today, so the crew are still breathing easily in twenty years.

The main risks on the job

• Silica dust from cutting, drilling, grinding or chasing concrete, stone, brick, block, mortar and tiles. This is the big one.
• Wood dust, especially from hardwood and repeated cutting and sanding.
• Cement and plaster dust, which also burns and dries the skin.
• Fumes from welding, and vapours from solvents, adhesives and sealants.
• Chemicals that harm the skin, eyes or lungs if used without the right precautions.

What you must do

• Know what you are working with. Check the COSHH assessment and the safety data sheet for any product, so you know the hazard and the precautions.
• Control dust at source first. Use water suppression to damp it down, or on-tool extraction with an M-class vacuum. Never dry-cut anything that contains silica.
• Wear the right RPE as well. For silica dust that usually means a fit-tested FFP3 mask, worn in addition to controlling the dust, not instead of it.
• Ventilate for fumes and work outdoors or in a well-ventilated space where you can.
• Handle and store chemicals as the data sheet says, and keep them off your skin.
• Keep it out of your body. Wash before eating, drinking or smoking, and do not carry dust home on your clothes.

Questions to discuss with the crew

• What cutting, grinding or chasing are we doing today, and on what materials?
• Is the water suppression or the extraction set up and working?
• Who needs an FFP3 today, and are their masks fit-tested and faces clean-shaven?
• Are there any chemicals in use we need the data sheet for?

Record the talk

Write down the date, the topic, who gave the talk and who attended, and keep it on file. The record shows the briefing happened, and it is often asked for by the principal contractor or in an investigation after an incident.

Related: COSHH assessment for construction, Toolbox talk: PPE, and the toolbox talks index.