INSTALLERSUPPORT
New research shows outdoor workers
are exposed to 15% more pollution
than the average Londoner
We are building the evidence base that proves government
must act on air quality says British Safety Council
» AN APP DEVELOPED BY
King College London as part
of the British Safety Council’s
Time to Breathe campaign
is building on a growing
evidence base that proves
outdoor workers are exposed
to air pollution well above the
World Health Organisation’s
(WHO) recommended limits.
However, huge variance in
quality and coverage of air
quality measurement across
the UK suggests the problem
could be greater than previously
thought.
The app gathers data based on
London’s air quality monitoring
stations and gives individual users
a read-out of the air pollution
they are exposed to at work. The
first data release from British
Safety Council confirms that
outdoor workers are put at more
risk than average Londoners. The
WHO says that air pollution is
now the world’s largest single
environmental health risk and
that reducing air pollution could
save millions of lives. As well as
campaigning to improve ambient
air quality the British Safety
Council is working on practical
solutions to reduce the risks for
outdoor workers.
Over six months the Canairy
app has gathered data from a
sample of Londoners. Outdoor
workers were exposed to air
pollution averages higher than
guidelines for NO2, particulate
matter (PM2.5 and PM10)
and Ozone. Some maximum
exposures were nearly two thirds
higher than recommended WHO
limits. The workers were in two
groups, some mostly working in
offices and others mostly working
outside. Although both groups
were exposed to high levels of air
pollution, those working outside
are exposed to worse pollution
than the average Londoner.
The British Safety Council
launched Time to Breathe in
March 2019. The campaign
offers the Canairy app free to
give workers and employers
information about air pollution
exposure as well as providing
free advice and guidance. The
British Safety Council has called
on the government to adopt
WHO guidelines in the new
Environment Bill. In March
2020 the British Safety Council
will be taking the campaign
to Manchester to highlight
the limitations of air pollution
monitoring outside London.
Speaking today at the British
Safety Council’s offices in
London, head of campaigns
Matthew Holder said:
“The first data release confirms
that outdoor workers are being
exposed to high levels of air
pollution with all the health risks
that carries. Canairy confirms
what we also thought – if you
work outside in a city or near a
busy road you are putting your
health at risk. What is new is that
we now have the technology for
individual workers to record their
exposure. With Canairy and other
forms of measurement we are
building the evidence base that
makes the case for change. As a
first step we must urgently adopt
the WHO guidelines on PM2.5.
But we also need investment
in measurement so we can
understand who is at risk and how
people can limit their exposure to
harmful air pollution.”
He went on to say:
“I am really pleased that since
we launched this campaign in
2019, we have seen employers
ready to take responsibility for
protecting their workers from
pollution. A new steering group
has been established of leading
construction and infrastructure
companies to look at how we
can mitigate the impact of air
pollution on outdoor workers.
But as well as employers doing
their bit, we need national and
local government to invest in
measurement across the country so
that apps like Canairy can give an
accurate picture of the pollution
workers are breathing in.”
About the British
Safety Council
Since its foundation in 1957,
the British Safety Council
has campaigned tirelessly
to protect workers from
accidents, hazards and
unsafe conditions, and
played a decisive role in the
political process that has led
to the adoption of landmark
safety legislation in the UK.
Its members in more than
60 countries are committed
to protecting and improving
the wellbeing of workers,
believing that a healthy and
safe work environment is
also good for business.
You can read the full report at
www.britsafe.org
26 » JUN 2020 » CLEARVIEW-UK.COM