For over 75 years, Hilti has been championing Health & Safety in the construction industry.
We understand how hazardous construction sites can be, whether you’re working at height or in difficult-to-get-to corners. That's why we follow a well-defined Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) process along the development of new products. This not only keeps construction workers safer, but also improves working comfort for tradespeople and their overall productivity.
Our products are built to last and designed to withstand the harshest construction project conditions. We also heavily invest in research and development to ensure our system solutions protect the worker from common construction risks such as Silicosis from exposure to respirable silica dust and Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS).
As well as products and technology, we also provide guidance, advice and training to help keep your construction sites safer and more productive.
When reviewing your own health and safety processes in your workplace, we recommend following the "STOP Principle", which provides practical strategies to minimise the impact of challenges such as dust, vibration, and avoid the risk of injury and accidents from cutting and kickback. Click the tabs below for more info on each topic.
Substitution is the elimination of the risk by using alternatives. By doing so the root cause of hazards can be avoided.
For example, you could consider direct fastening methods instead of drilling and fixing to virtually eliminate the risk of dust or vibration.
Technical measures are machinery, tools or technologies to help improve health and safety.
For example Hilti power tools, accessories and inserts (such as drill bits, discs, blades or chisels), are designed to work as harmonised systems to maximise the volume of harmful dust removed at source and collect it efficiently with high-performance vacuum cleaners.
This works in conjunction with our in-built technologies such as Active Vibration Reduction (AVR) and Active Torque Control (ATC) to minimise exposure to vibration and prevent wrist injury from kick-back.
Organisational measures are made possible due to different working methods and improved work organisation.
This could be the provision of additional training on safe working practices or awareness raising activities to support employees to identify symptoms such as tingling or numbness.
Personal protective measures, which are needed where risks remain.
Dust masks, eye protection, hard hats, ear protection, disposable overalls and gloves are all essential kit, even when using virtually dust-free tools.
Health & Safety is an ever-evolving issue for our industry and one that we are continuously looking to address through the development of new products and technologies. But we know that it’s more than just a functional necessity for construction businesses – it’s the focus of long-term strategies crafted in the boardroom to improve the way we work.
In this report, our panel of 8 industry leading experts highlight the emerging trends in Health & Safety and those which will be at the forefront of contractors’ thinking in the coming years. Which new technologies will transform how people work on site? How will they interact and report progress, and how will compliance feed into boardroom policies now and in the future.
