INDUSTRY RISKS
· TUNNELLING INDUSTRY

According to Health + Safety International, 1-in-10 tunnel workers are at risk of developing silicosis in Australia. Exposure to crystalline silica, as well as other types of hazardous dust are common in tunnelling due to various types of tunnelling processes.

• According to Yahoo Finance, global tunnel construction projects pipeline stands at $1.32 trillion
  
• The tunnelling market currently represents 6 to 7% of the global infrastructure construction market, according to The International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association

• According to British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), 1-in-10 tunnel workers are at risk of developing silicosis in Australia

• According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), in 2019-20 there were 8 fatalities and more than 200 incidents related to harmful gas exposure in the UK, including in underground construction

• Arsenic dusts
• Construction dust
• Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM)
• Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS)
• Wood dust

• Nitrogen Dioxide
• Hydrogen Sulphide
• Sulphur Dioxide
• Oxygen
• Flammable gases
• Methane
• Ammonia

• Drilling into rock + existing structures
• Excavation of rocks
• Lack of effective ventilation
• Loading + unloading of materials
• Transportation + use of machinery
• Transportation of raw materials

• Blasting into natural structures
• Drilling natural structures
• Excavation of rock
• Natural deposits in rocks
• Use of vehicle + machine engines