Health damage assessment of reconstruction dust from old industrial buildings under multi-process

Characterization of health and safety hazards of deconstruction activities

BACKGROUND

Manual deconstruction-an alternative to mechanical demolition-is a crucial technique in the building industry that facilitates a circular economy for the built environment and achieves sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, the current body of literature lacks a thorough grasp of the OHS (occupational health and safety) hazards related to the deconstruction process. The current work closes this scholarly gap by outlining the deconstruction process as phases and sets of activities and highlighting potential health and safety hazards throughout different activities and phases.

METHODS

The study uses numerous case studies and applies a descriptive case study technique to gather and analyze primary data from hundreds of photos and notes from over 40 field visits. The primary data are first used to prepare a comprehensive process map of deconstruction. Six construction safety experts and four industrial hygiene experts were then interviewed to identify and characterize health and safety hazards in images representative of the deconstruction activities.

RESULTS

A taxonomy of OHS hazards for deconstruction was developed based on identifying 35 unique safety and 51 unique health hazards. Significant safety hazards in deconstruction activities include "struck-by," "trip, slip, and fall" hazards, and "lack of personal protective equipment." Major health hazards include ergonomic concerns, respiratory diseases, and eye strain.

DISCUSSION

The study highlights the occupational health and safety issues faced by the deconstruction trade with a granularity rarely covered in existing literature. The assessments can be helpful for OHS practitioners to identify potential health and safety improvements across various deconstruction phases.

Dynamic assessment of dust hazard risk in the reconstruction of old industrial buildings: coupling effects of dust distribution and personnel trajectories

Since the old industrial buildings bear many functions of industrial production and storage in the service stage, the dust generated by the regeneration construction is often accompanied by industrial pollutants, causing irreversible damage to the personal safety of construction workers. However, little consideration has been given to the uncertainty of dust emissions and the dynamics of construction personnel movement. Therefore, reducing the risk of dust hazards during the regeneration of old industrial buildings is imperative. This study draws on the trace intersecting theory to analyse the cause of the hazard risk associated with reconstruction dust and explore the impact of the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of reconstruction dust and its coupling effect with construction on-site personnel activity trajectories and uses the risk matrix method to assess the dust hazard risk in the reconstruction of old industrial buildings. Finally, the renovation and reinforcement process of the first floor of a printing building in Xi'an was considered as an example for verification. The results indicate that the risk assessment model results were highly consistent with the actual situation and risk value for the entire area was 6.05, indicating a risk level of IV. Immediate measures should be implemented to reduce dust concentrations or the frequency of construction personnel activity, thereby minimising potential harm.