4 | MAY 2020
News
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
NEW RESEARCH SHOWS OUTDOOR
WORKERS ARE EXPOSED TO 15% MORE
POLLUTION THAN THE AVERAGE LONDONER
An app developed by King’s
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 pollu-
tion they are exposed to at
work. The first data release
from British Safety Coun-
cil confirms that outdoor
workers are put at more
risk than average London-
ers. The WHO says that
air pollution is now the
world’s largest single envi-
ronmental 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 solu-
tions to reduce the risks
for outdoor workers.
Over six months the
Canairy app has gathered
data from a sample of
Londoners. Outdoor work-
ers 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 London-
er.
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 pollu-
tion 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 build-
ing 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.
“I am really pleased that
since we launched this
campaign in 2019, we have
seen employers ready to
take responsibility for pro-
tecting their workers from
pollution. A new steering
group has been established
of leading construction and
infrastructure companies
to look at how we can mit-
igate the impact of air pol-
lution on outdoor workers.
But as well as employers
doing their bit, we need
national and local govern-
ment to invest in measure-
ment across the country so
that apps like Canairy can
give an accurate picture of
the pollution workers are
breathing in.”
You can read the full
report here: https://www.
britsafe.org/campaigns-pol-
icy/time-to-breathe-air-pol-
lution-campaign/research-
the-case-for-action/
About the British
Safety Council
The British Safety Council
believes that no-one should
be injured or made ill
through their work. Since
its foundation in 1957, the
British Safety Council has
campaigned tirelessly to
protect workers from acci-
dents, hazards and unsafe
conditions, and played a
decisive role in the political
process that has led to the
adoption of landmark safe-
ty 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.
As part of its charitable
work, the British Safety
Council leads health and
safety networking forums
for all sectors, facilitates
and promotes best practice
in Britain and overseas. It
also offers a range of ser-
vices and products, includ-
ing training, qualifications,
publications, audits and
awards. The British Safety
Council works closely with
organisations, charities
and individuals who share
its vision of ensuring that
every worker goes home
at the end of the day as
healthy as they were when
they went to work.
www.britsafe.org