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1140940

registered interest
date	22/07/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Silicosis
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data her Department holds on the effect of silicosis on (a) productivity in the UK and (b) productivity of the construction industry in the UK.
tabling member constituency	High Peak
tabling member printed	Ruth George
uin	280414
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2019 answer text <p>The Health and Safety Executive does not have data on the effects of silicosis on productivity, either generally or for any specific sector.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 26/07/2019 11:09:36 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1140941

registered interest
date	22/07/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Silica
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department has taken to regulate exposure to silica; and what recent assessment her Department has made of the extent of compliance with those regulations.
tabling member constituency	High Peak
tabling member printed	Ruth George
uin	280415
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2019 answer text <p>The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regulates exposure to silica primarily through the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH). COSHH requires employers to ensure substances which may be harmful to people’s health through their work activities are identified and assessed; and processes are put in place to eliminate or control risks. Silica is also subject to workplace exposure limits (WELs), which set out maximum exposure levels to hazardous substances. The most harmful form of silica is respirable crystalline silica (RCS).</p><p> </p><p>HSE has produced a range of freely available guidance to demonstrate what compliance with COSHH and good control practice looks like across a range of industries, available at http://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/index.htm.</p><p> </p><p>HSE has also produced internal operational guidance that outlines the initial enforcement expectations where HSE’s inspectors encounter problems related to RCS during regulatory interventions. These form a benchmark against which compliance can be measured on an intervention-by-intervention basis.</p><p> </p><p>Overall compliance is assessed on an industry-by-industry basis. In 2009, HSE published Research Report RR689 ‘Silica Baseline Survey’ that provided intelligence on exposure and control of RCS in key industry sectors. In the intervening period, RCS has remained an important issue within HSE’s inspection programme for the relevant high-risk sectors. For example, HSE recently conducted an inspection initiative between 17<sup>th</sup> June 2019 – 12<sup>th</sup> July 2019 that focussed on RCS and other dusts in the construction industry. The extent of compliance is considered as part of HSE’s evaluation work of such workstreams alongside other significant risks.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 26/07/2019 12:14:24 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1140942

registered interest
date	22/07/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Silicosis
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data her Department holds on the groups most vulnerable to silicosis.
tabling member constituency	High Peak
tabling member printed	Ruth George
uin	280416
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2019 answer text <p>Evidence from a body of epidemiological research shows that the risk of silicosis increases according to the extent of exposure to respirable crystalline silica. Groups most vulnerable to developing silicosis are those with the highest exposures. A range of sources of evidence – including reports of silicosis cases from chest physicians, cases assessed for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, and epidemiological studies – have identified specific worker groups that are at likely to be at highest risk. These include: quarrying; slate works; foundries; potteries; brick and tile making; stonemasonry; construction work involving cutting or breaking stone, concrete or brick; abrasive blasting and tunnelling; and industries that use silica flour to manufacture goods.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 26/07/2019 12:22:52 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George

1140945

registered interest
date	22/07/2019
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Silica
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps have been taken to encourage the construction industry to protect workers from exposure to silica.
tabling member constituency	High Peak
tabling member printed	Ruth George
uin	280418
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2019 answer text <p>Protecting construction workers from exposure to silica has been a priority for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for a number of years. During this time, HSE has used a range of approaches to influence the construction industry. These include:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Providing tailored advice, information and guidance on HSE’s website about complying with the law in this area;</li><li>Raising awareness through HSE social media presence as well as engaging with industry through mechanisms such as the Construction Dust Partnership and the Health in Construction Leadership Group;</li><li>Undertaking research with the industry to increase the evidence base available;</li><li>Carrying out targeted inspections. This includes a national inspection initiative undertaken between 17<sup>th</sup> June 2019 – 12<sup>th</sup> July 2019 that focussed on silica and other dusts in the construction industry. This will be repeated in October 2019;</li><li>Taking enforcement action where appropriate to prevent ill-health and hold law-breakers to account.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Silica exposure amongst construction workers will continue to be a priority for HSE while it remains a significant issue. HSE will look to evolve the intervention approaches it uses during this period to maximise its influence.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 26/07/2019 12:30:35 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
tabling member	4662 label Biography information for Ruth George