Hardly new, but for many of us an "emerging risk"!

Has anyone out there done any definitive assessment informed by dosimeter info. on actual or typical exposure (to harmful constituents) to road workers during coring, planing, resurfacing, patching, handling of waste, etc.?

If you have, would you be willing to share your findings?

I'm hoping that (this being outdoor work) that exposure to the various nasty constituents is well below WELs and of course there are other practical and pragmatic things we can do to further minimise exposure, without resorting to RPE for road workers!

I'm not concerned about dermal exposure. These guys are already well protected by PPE for bitumen splashes etc., dermal exposure shouldn't be a big deal.

We aer in a bit of a hot spot unfortunately (Fife).

This has only 'emerged' as a H&S risk following Environment Agency issues with waste classification.

Jay, the issue is an historic one. Coal Tat was used as a road surface material up until the 1980's.

We encounter it during excavations, planing, etc. and it's nasty stuff.

Any old tat they used to bury in the roads?

You know, what the criminals used to do with concrete wellies & people in the bottom of foundations?... ]:)

(Wicked jokey face by the way!)  I know it's not Friday, but, I am finished on site & off home tomorrow...

Just don't remind me I'm working in the office on Friday.

From memory, phenol would probably be the most hazardous component of coal tar as far as inhalation and skin exposure is concerned. You could try a WEL for that.

Coal Tar was essentially what was left over from the manufacture of Town Gas from coal. Before we started to pipe natural gas from the North Sea our gas came from coal. (Ancient history as described in a half remember Ladybird book!)

The coal tar was used on road surfaces until it was replaced by bitumen produced by the petrol- chemical industry.  One problem with coal tar is that it is not a single substance but a mixture and the composition of this mixture can vary. As said the coal-tar was itself often subject to further processing to extract useful components. What was left was used on the roads.

Nowadays bitumen has to be analysed before it can sold and should have an SDS. Nothing valid exists for coal tar. Furthermore the coal tar composition will change over time with the more volatile components evaporating but by how much is impossible to tell. It will depend on things like has the tar been exposed to the air or the elements or how warm it has gotten etc.

If you find a big deposit which you need to shift then it might be worth getting it analysed. I recommend the use of PPE when handling it anyway eg disposable boiler suit, gloves etc.  If working  in an enclosed space RPE might also be a good idea.