Dust Control – Soil Stabilization – Erosion Control

Archive for the ‘Construction Dust’ Category

Australian Dust Control will be exhibiting their shaker dust collectors at the School Resources Expo at Rosehill Gardens on 12 and 13 March 2010. Apart from being able to assist with any technical and sales enquiries, their school shaker dust collectors will be on display. Schools across Australia are taking advantage of recent Government funding to upgrade their existing dust and fume extraction systems in woodworking classrooms, welding workshops, fine arts and industrial design departments.

Australian Dust Control designs and installs a range of school shaker dust collectors that offer the following key features and benefits:

* These dust collectors are environmentally friendly
* Shaker dust collectors offer energy efficiency
* The School Shaker dust collectors can be delivered to site pre- assembled
* Dust collectors can easily be placed on the base framework

An investment in school shaker dust collectors from Australian Dust Control will give schools peace of mind knowing that their students and teachers have access to a high standard of protection available. Australian Dust Control complies with all selection criteria and OH&S guidelines set forward by schools and other learning institutions, and the innovative and flexible designs of dust extractors by Australian Dust Control are available at competitive prices.

Encouraged by efforts from the West Indies Alumina Company (Windalco) to eliminate a dust nuisance from its red mud (waste disposal) lake at Battersea in Central Manchester, residents have reportedly suspended plans to sue.

“The objective was never about money, the aim always was to get the company to do the right things,” Battersea resident Mark Cameron told the Sunday Observer last week.

Cameron was one of the leading voices protesting the dust nuisance,

“The feeling now is that they (Windalco) are now on the right track though there is a lot more that needs to be done,” he added.

Cameron had said late last month that a member of his community was preparing to file a “class action” law suit against the bauxite/alumina company as a consequence of “the clouds of toxic dust” from the dry lake invading their homes and endangering health.

But over the last two weeks the waste disposal site — which over a period of months had become a dust bowl — has been flooded with water.

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There are different types of construction dust that is created at the workplace. The type of construction and location of the site will determine what is in the air. Unlike road dust, construction dust is more than basic road dust.

The dryer regions of the country have a problem with particle matter floating in the air whose makeup is different than wetter regions where the nuisance dust could be from the saw dust that the building tools create. The cleaning up of the loose debris is the solution for most dust problems that are actually created on the construction site that is directly caused by the construction process. The health hazards of construction site dust could include cement residue, asbestos, mineral fibers with a man made origin and the most common is wood dust.

The reason for the concern is the effects it has on the people working at the site and the surrounding region. When natural sources of dust from plants and animals combine with the airborne particles of the construction site, it could adversely affect the membranes of the occupance.

The US Department of Health and Human Service’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health consider silicosis has a major problem and cause of health problems that has its origins from construction dust. Construction dust control from the particle matter smaller the 10 micrometers or PM10 has to be approached from a different perspective  than those that are naturally occurring in our environment

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There are different types of construction dust that is created at the workplace. The type of construction and location of the site will determine what is in the air.

The dryer regions of the country have a problem with particle matter floating in the air whose make up is different than wetter regions where the nuisance dust could be from the saw dust that the building tools create. The cleaning up of the loose debris is the solution for most dust problems that are actually created on the construction site that is directly caused by the construction process. The health hazards of construction site dust could include cement residue, asbestos, mineral fibers with a man made origin and the most common is wood dust.

The reason for the concern is the effects it has on the people working at the site and the surrounding region. When natural sources of dust from plants and animals combine with the airborne particles of the construction site, it could adversely affect the membranes of the occupance.

The US Department of Health and Human Service’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health consider silicosis has a major problem and cause of health problems that has its origins from construction dust . Construction dust control from the particle matter smaller the 10 micrometers or PM10 has to be approached from a different perspective than those that are naturally occurring in our environment

The airborne crystalline silica that originates from the concrete, masonry and rock on the site can become lodged in the membranes and lungs of the respiratory systems of the people on and near the site. Once there, they become hardened and cause permanent damage and even death.

Construction dust control for this problem can be accomplished when the proper precautions are taken along with the right equipment. The blades that are used to cut concrete and other masonry items should be equipped with a water attachment to make the dust to heavy to become airborne. When drilling into rock the same accessory should be used to weigh down the dust and prevent it from becoming airborne.

Cleanup afterwards is just as important. The water that was used to weigh down the dust particles will evaporate over time. Collection and proper disposal is a necessary part of keeping the work site as free as possible of nuisance dust.

Another little thought about source of silica is from the abrasive materials that are used on the construction site. This includes the silica paper and sanding discs that are used to prepare and condition the different surfaces around the site. When these materials are used, the operator should be using a dust mask on themselves to prevent inhalation of the particle matter.

The US Government classifies nuisance dust that is created by the landscape as a natural event under the air pollution laws. This is a contributor to the construction dust problem but not the whole cause. With the proper precautions control of construction dust can minimize the adverse effects in the people on and near the construction site.

To help you with determine specifically what is best for your situation there is a valuable resource with information on this environmental topic at Soil Control International and their informative blog site.

WEST CHESTER, PA – Metabo Corporation, a leading international manufacturer of professional grade portable electric power tools and abrasives for industrial, construction and welding applications, now offers its updated 2010/2011 product catalog.

Metabo’s new auto-balancing system for its small angle grinders, including the WA11-125 Quick, WEPA14-125 Quick and the WEPA14-150 Quick, is featured in the catalog. The innovative technology significantly lowers vibration resulting in less fatigue, safer tool handling and extended tool and wheel life.

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Under scrutiny since the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released its 2006 Combustible Dust Hazard Study, General Industry Housekeeping provision 1910.22 has been taken to task by OSHA. The amendment comes as a result of employers’ misinterpretation of housekeeping standards already included in the provision.

In a hearing before the Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, OSHA assistant secretary Edwin G. Foulke Jr. said the provision will “state more explicitly what has always been true–that the standard applies to accumulations of dust that contribute to an explosion hazard. This clarification of language in the provision will eliminate any doubt that employers are obligated to prevent combustible dust from accumulating in their workplaces.”

Although OSHA’s General Industry Housekeeping provision 1910.22 does not specifically address housekeeping and fugitive dust, other OSHA standards do and suggest that operations “eliminate the use of compressed air jets to clean accumulated dust from equipment or clothing, and substitute a vacuum-cleaning system.”

However, there is a noted lack of regulation regarding the handling of fugitive dust for general industry, including food, rubbers, metal, pharmaceuticals, plastics, paint and synthetic organic chemicals.

Vacuum Cleaning = First Defense Against Dust

In nearly all industries, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends vacuum cleaning as the preferred first defense method of controlling fugitive dust. NFPA 654 states “vigorous sweeping or blowing down with steam or compressed air produces dust clouds.” Despite NFPA and OSHA recommendations, many companies still use air compressors and brooms to clean surrounding equipment, and areas of dust and debris. This may be due to the misconception about industrial vacuum cleaners and sheer oversight when reviewing production processes. The problem with using brooms and air compressors is that they just blow the dust around, resulting in small particles that settle onto elevated surfaces.
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