Health and safety best practices for construction sites in 2025

Dust and other particulate matter created on site is one of the biggest dangers to the workforce. The UK’s HSE eestimates that 500 people die each year from exposure to silica dust alone, showing the scale of the problem. Staying safe on site depends on finding ways to reduce the amount of dust created and protecting workers from what dust there is.

One of the best ways to keep dust levels as low as possible is investing in high quality vacuum equipment. For example, an M class vacuum is ideal for hardwood sawdust and dust created by grinding, cutting, slitting, drilling and dry coring concrete or bricks which is >0.1 mg/m3.

Alternatively you could choose an H class vacuum  which does everything the M-Class does and also offers greater suction and filtration, so it can extract 99.9% of hazardous dust which is ≤ 0.1 mg/m3 in size. This includes particles considered to be carcinogenic or pathogenic which pose the greatest risk to human health. 

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The tools your workers use every day can have a big impact on the overall safety of your site and your company’s productivity. Health and safety best practice in 2025 includes the use of tools which are designed with safety as a priority. 

For example, our SM 60-22 mitre saw features a safer double trigger system with a speed dial located on the front - near one of the triggers for convenience. The blade itself has a fast brake which kicks in whenever the user’s hand leaves the trigger.

Or the DGH 130-22 cordless concrete grinder which removes hazardous extension cords from the job site. It also includes a drop detection function which automatically shuts down the motor if it slips from your grip, and it will stop within two seconds of shutdown to further enhance safety on the job site.

Both of those tools are vacuum and dust bag compatible to help you combat that risk and meet health and safety best practices.

The HSE says that hand arm vibration (HAVS) is one of the biggest potantial dangers [5] in the workplace. Approximately two million people are at risk, and a large number of those work in construction.

While it is inevitable that construction workers will be exposed to some vibration, technological solutions are available to reduce that exposure as much as possible.

For example, many of Hilti’s tools incorporate Active Vibration Reduction (AVR) technology which is designed to manage and minimise the vibration that workers are exposed to on the job site.

You could use low-vibration rig mounted systems like the DD 30-W core drill or the DD 350-CA diamond coring tool to re-route most of the vibrations away from the operator. Or you could reassess the type of tool you are using, such as choosing a circular saw with a lower vibration rating instead of a reciprocating saw when cutting wood.

Finally, it is important to make sure that all workers on site have received the correct health and safety training and certifications. That includes the initial training and the ongoing updates as new tools and systems are introduced.

Keeping track of what everyone is qualified and confident to use via a site management software system like ON!Track makes this task extremely easy.

You will be able to see at the touch of a button who is qualified to use what, helping you avoid mistakes which can cause injuries or ill health in the workforce. Being able to avoid risks before they arrive in this way will offer significant benefits for your health and safety strategy as well as making you more efficient and productive on site.