Poor air quality is an often-overlooked job site health and safety hazard.

Construction generates dust, which can irritate the lungs. Chemical fumes from paint, glue, or other materials can all contain dangerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that may cause serious lung damage.

Managing air quality on job sites is essential for keeping workers safe. With the right strategies, any business can maintain high job site air quality.

Common Job Site Air Quality Risks

The specific risks that workers face can vary significantly from site to site, but most industries and workplaces will need to manage a few of the same health threats.

All construction work generates dust, for example. Moving earth, drilling, cutting, and even foot traffic release particulate matter into the air — including respirable crystalline silica, which may cause silicosis.

Construction equipment and vehicles produce carbon emissions. A variety of other harmful air pollutants, like lead dust, toluene, ozone, carbon monoxide, and perchloroethylene can be generated by on-site chemicals or normal construction processes.

Without the proper controls in place, any of these risks can threaten worker health as much as more obvious risks — like power tools or electrical wiring. These risks can be especially severe in poorly ventilated areas where fumes and dust are allowed to build up.

Site workers aren’t the only people at risk. People who work or live near the construction site may also be exposed to harmful particulate matter that can cause lung irritation and injury.

Living near a construction site, in particular, has been found to be a major health risk, and working in a building undergoing active renovations can also be dangerous.

How to Preserve Air Quality on Job Sites

Effective ventilation has become more important than ever, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, when good ventilation became an essential public health measure. 

For indoor construction projects, ventilation will be key. Managers should take steps to keep structures ventilated, protect existing HVAC systems from pollutants, and provide workers with personal PPE when ventilation can’t be guaranteed.

In addition to these strategies, managers should also have an air quality plan that outlines the steps workers will take to maintain site air quality. Managers, in developing these plans, can take advantage of existing standards and regulations, like those offered by the U.S. Green Building Council, which develops the LEED green building certification program.

For a building to become LEED-compliant, it needs to be both green in operation and during construction. LEED guidelines require that construction companies develop and implement a Construction Indoor Air Quality (CIAQ) plan for LEED projects.

While site managers don’t need to follow LEED standards exactly, using the framework to develop an indoor environmental quality (IEQ) plan or similar plan can help managers minimize air quality risks and keep workers safe during construction.

For example, a CIAQ-style plan may include strategies for protecting existing HVAC and ventilation systems, keeping indoor structures ventilated, and minimizing site dust.

Long-Term Strategies to Improve Site Air Quality

Businesses may also want to consider post-construction emissions. A growing number of buildings are constructed with operational carbon emissions in mind.

These buildings use modern construction strategies, like sustainable materials, that help guarantee they won’t contribute to local air quality problems after construction is complete. Investing in green building systems like eco-friendly paint can further reduce the short-term and long-term health impacts of a new building and the health risks that workers face.

For managers designing a site IEQ plan, useful resources include the EPA’s Indoor Air Quality Design Tools for Schools, particularly the sections on construction and air quality, and the ASHRAE Indoor Air Quality Guide.

How Businesses Can Keep Manage Air Quality on Job Sites

Managers can take active steps to protect workers from on-site air pollutants like dust, exhaust, and chemical fumes. Often, a combination of PPE, ventilation, and best practices will be enough to keep workers safe.

Green building practices can also help. The right building techniques may even ensure local air quality remains good after construction is complete.

Author bio: Jane is an environmental writer who covers topics in sustainable construction and green building materials and the editor-in-chief of Environment.co.

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