A new campaign has been launched to improve the long-term health and well-being of workers within Scotland's construction industry.

Newly-established body, Constructing Better Health Scotland, has voiced its concern that there is a limited awareness of the impact long-term health issues can have in the construction sector. This, in turn, also impacts on the wider economy.

Across the economy, CBH Scotland said that 98% of all health and safety related deaths in the workplace are caused by ill health rather than safety related accidents, with the cost of occupational ill health in the Scottish construction industry around £66m each year.

The construction sector has one of the highest rates of work-related musculoskeletal disease of any industry, while overall, a third of construction workers are estimated to have occupational health issues. It was also claimed that 56% of all male occupational cancers are caused by working in the construction sector.

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In wake of these figures, CBH Scotland has published its industry pledge outlining key measures to tackle occupational health in the Scottish construction sector, and is encouraging employers, trade unions and policy-makers to sign up.

Michelle Aldous, Chief Executive of Constructing Better Health, commented: "Some of the figures around occupational health issues in the construction industry are truly alarming: the fact that one third of construction workers are estimated to have occupational health issues; the fact that more than half of construction workers are unable to maintain their performance in work until retirement age because of long-term health issues; and the fact that 56% of all occupational cancers are caused by working in the construction sector.

"For understandable reasons, deaths from safety-related accidents tend to attract the headlines – not least because they are measured annually by industry by the Health and Safety Executive. Measuring the impact of long term ill health is much harder since many of these conditions may only become apparent years after a worker has left the industry.

"But there is much that we could do to improve the situation. Regular and consistent monitoring of the industry workforce would enable us to target support towards those most vulnerable to long term health conditions and to introduce preventative measures to protect workers from exposure to known health risks."

(JP/MH)