Engineering Controls for Selected Silica and Dust Exposures in the Construction Industry – a Review

Details

• Personal Author:
  Flynn MR ; Susi, Pam
• Description:
  This literature review summarizes engineering control technology research for dust and silica exposures associated with selected tasks in the construction industry. Exposure to crystalline silica can cause silicosis and lung fibrosis, and evidence now links it with lung cancer. Of over 30 references identified and reviewed, 16 were particularly significant in providing data and analyses capable of documenting the efficacy of various engineering controls. These reports include information on generation rates and worker exposures to silica and dust during four different tasks: cutting brick and concrete block, grinding mortar from between bricks, drilling, and grinding concrete surfaces. The major controls are wet methods and local exhaust ventilation. The studies suggest that while the methods provide substantial exposure reductions, they may not reduce levels below the current ACGIH threshold limit value (TLV) of 0.05 mg/m(3) for respirable quartz. Although further research on controls for these operations is indicated, it is clear that effective methods exist for significant exposure reduction. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aluminum Silicates Construction Industry Dust Engineering Lung Lung Diseases Neoplasms Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Quartz Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Silicon Dioxide

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• Keywords:
  Construction-industry Construction-workers Dust-exposure Dusts Engineering-controls Lung-cancer Lung-fibrosis Occupational-exposure Pulmonary-system-disorders Quartz-dust Respiratory-system-disorders Silica-dusts Silicates Silicosis

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• ISSN:
  1047-322X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; North Carolina ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  268-277
• Volume:
  18
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20029512
• Citation:
  Appl Occup Environ Hyg 2003 Apr; 18(4):268-277
• CAS Registry Number:
  Quartz (SiO2) (CAS RN 14808-60-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2003
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction
• Performing Organization:
  The Center to Protect Workers' Rights
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19990930
• Source Full Name:
  Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• End Date:
  20050630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:e31e0f1790c18b281b96b79101d198e2cf3883ba19e14cf92297d6ca60f839687ff4afcb9a8f1fe7036756c0668893f662d24ce14b6b1d8430d154b77ea6d1ab
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/190469/cdc_190469_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 231.65 KB ]