Health Hazard Evaluation Report No. 2023-0001-3405: Evaluation of Silica and Noise Exposures at a Concrete Corrosion Testing Facility

Details

• Personal Author:
  Echt, Hannah ; Brueck, Scott E.
• Description:
  The NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation Program received a request from a concrete infrastructure corrosion testing facility concerned with employees' exposures to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) and noise during the processing of concrete samples. The company inspected and collected samples from concrete infrastructures, such as bridges, to identify and quantify material corrosion and performance. We conducted the following activities in our evaluation: (1) observed work processes, practices, and equipment, (2) collected personal air samples for respirable crystalline silica and respirable dust, (3) collected bulk samples of pulverized concrete to determine its silica content, (4) took personal noise exposure measurements from workers processing concrete samples, and (5) measured sound levels when concrete samples were cut, crushed, and pulverized. Our air sampling found that employees were primarily exposed to RCS during sawing and pulverizing. Full-shift time-weighted average exposures exceeded the OSHA action limit and could potentially exceed the OSHA permissible exposure limit based on the amount of time spent using the masonry saw and/or using the pulverizer. While employees sawed, noise levels were above 100 decibels, A-weighted. Noise exposures for technicians using the masonry saw were above the NIOSH recommended exposure limit. Depending on the time spent using the masonry saw, employees' noise exposures could also be above OSHA noise exposure limits. We observed areas where improvements could be made including workplace ventilation, work activities, and correct use of personal protective equipment. Some of the recommendations we made include (1) reducing employees' exposures to RCS by incorporating a local exhaust system for the pulverizer and masonry saw, having technicians who operate the pulverizer stand farther away from it, and limiting the amount of time spent on these tasks; (2) including those employees sawing in a hearing conservation program that includes wearing both ear plugs and earmuffs; (3) avoiding dry brushing and dry sweeping after sawing; and (4) starting a respiratory protection program.
• Subjects:
  Dust Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced Noise, Occupational Occupational Health Safety Silicon Dioxide
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Engineering Services; Silica; Noise; Concrete; Corrosion Testing; Respirable Crystalline Silica; RCS; Respirable Dust Region 3; Crystalline Silica; Respirable Dust; Noise Exposure; Work Practices; Personal Protective Equipment; PPE; Cutting Tools; Grinding Equipment; Exhaust Ventilation; Respiratory Protection; Concretes;
• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study ; Report
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; Pennsylvania ; Chicago Region [OSHA] ; Philadeliphia Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  30 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071002
• 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, HHE 2023-0001-3405, 2024 Nov; :1-30
• CAS Registry Number:
  Quartz (SiO2) (CAS RN 14808-60-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  541330 - Engineering Services - (NAICS)
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:16f03beb6c1bac89b4369c6b3527d2ba135891573b269f8e996e6166a054284e648a7deac9f974de3d596bf621d2cd4426bc3d81f0336854b953429e771cfde6
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/257781/cdc_257781_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 724.38 KB ]