In-depth survey report: control technology for crystalline silica exposures in construction: exposures and preliminary control evaluation at various sites for Bricklayers Local #9, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Heitbrink, William A.
• Description:
  Respirable silica exposures were measured while workers were using grinders to remove old mortar during a building renovation. Respirable silica exposures ranged from 1.0 to 3.0 mg/m3 grinding mortar, well in excess of the NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limit of 50 ug/m3. A preliminary evaluation of available engineering controls revealed that control measures ineffectively control the dust generation by the grinding operation. Control measure evaluated included two ventilated shrouds for grinding and the application of water to the grinding wheel. Testing on one ventilated shroud was terminated because dusty air, which was likely to contain and excessive amount of respirable crystalline silica, was emitted from the back of the grinder. A 30-minute exposure measurement resulted in a measured exposure of 9 mg/m3 of respirable crystalline silica. A commercially available grinder was tested which also emitted much dust. A wet grinding device resulted n a respirable dust concentration of 0.3 mg/m3 for a one hour sampling period. Apparently, wet grinding can suppress dust emissions. However, the use of water wit an electric grinder raises concerns about electrical shock hazards for the operator.
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Occupational Health Safety Safety Management Toxicology Ventilation Workplace
• Keywords:
  Dust-exposure-evaluation Particulates Region-3 Respirable-crystalline-silica Respirator-fit-testing Wet-grinder
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHECTB24712
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Studies ; Control Technology
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5 ; Pennsylvania
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DPSE - Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-21
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20000626
• Citation:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, ECTB 247-12, 2000 Feb; :1-21
• CAS Registry Number:
  Quartz (SiO2) (CAS RN 14808-60-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2000
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  1799 - Special trade contractors, not elsewhere classified - (SIC)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:97a7ce4d816fd98146e2f7b14e344fab3a6b4c971b94b934e3b2a31ae2217f26b6bf4143c61da09d9b7ee1e36382f5c11f158dac97d35cd46f59c4dffbb424a4
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/181026/cdc_181026_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 626.58 KB ]