If you’ve ever been on a construction site, then you know how dusty things can get! All the digging, moving, and building can generate huge clouds that can be dangerous to breathe in. At Tucker Paving, we know how important it is to protect the health and safety of construction workers as well as anyone else who could come into contact with this potentially toxic dust. That’s why dust control on-site is such an essential task.
Controlling Construction Site Dust
First of all, there are three main types of dust being stirred up on a construction site.
Silica dust is produced by cutting, grinding, drilling, or sandblasting many building materials, including granite and sandstone. Also called respirable crystalline silica (RCS), silica dust is very common in construction materials – and very toxic.
Non-silica dust is produced mostly when bricks are cut, but it can also come from working with cement, limestone, dolomite, marble, or gypsum (plasterboard). While it’s not as bad as silica dust, it is still harmful to human health.
Wood dust results from working with various types of wood and wood-based products, like plywood, chipboard, and MDF.
The problem presented by all this dust is that when inhaled, it’s going to reduce your lung capacity, increase the strain on your heart, and potentially cause a variety of diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD). It can cause irritation of the nose, throat, eyes, skin, and lungs, plus exacerbate asthma.
There are limits established by OSHA as to how much silica a worker can be exposed to. Tucker Paving abides by the laws laid down to protect workers and the public from excessive exposure to construction dust.
Keep it Clean with Tucker Paving
Tucker Paving works hard to ensure that our job sites comply with all state and federal safety guidelines. We value the health of our workers and clients, so we minimize the amount of dust produced from our projects by using the most appropriate methods for each job.
