If you work on a construction site there is very clear guidance provided by the Health and Safety Executive on how to reduce your exposure to the high levels of pollution being generated by the many machines and activities being carried out. 

If you are a local resident or are working in the vicinity of a construction site it is likely that you will be exposed to higher concentrations of dust and nitrogen dioxide than normal during some phases of the development. You can take active steps to reduce your level of exposure and protect your health. These can be as simple as keeping windows and doors closed during the week when the site is active and choosing to travel on alternative routes that do not directly run alongside the site boundary.

The developers will have carried out a risk assessment and produced a Dust Management Plan (DMP) which has been approved by your local authority. They are required to make an assessment of the activities that will be carried out on site and apply adequate mitigation to reduce the risk of any emissions travelling outside the boundary. On all major developments there will also be continous air pollution monitoring carried out, along with noise and vibration. In the event that higher concentrations are recorded on these monitors the cause is investigated and remedial actions should be taken immediately as well as the event being recorded in the onsite dust log book.

If you feel that you are being affected by pollution from a construction site you shoud report it directly to the site manager in the first instance, there is normally a phone number supplied on the hoarding for this purpose. If you feel that this has an unsatisfactory response and the issue has not been resolved then you should contact your local authority for further advice.