Wearing a mask during a remodeling, renovation, or construction project is essential for a very important reason. These types of projects can generate a significant amount of dust that can potentially become a health hazard when not properly contained.
Before commencing with a project, it is important to develop a strategy to contain the dust that will be generated onsite. With these precautionary measures, you can reduce the quantity of cleanup required later and more importantly the health risks to your workers.
The Importance of Dust Containment
Respirable crystalline silica is about 100 times smaller than the average size of sand particles. These particles are generated from certain remodeling and renovation activities including mixing thin-set, mixing cement, and opening bags of said materials. You can also be exposed to crystalline silica when cutting brick, stone, concrete, and many other natural and man-made materials. High and repetitive exposure to crystalline silica can lead to silicosis, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and kidney disease. This fact demonstrates the essential need for serious dust control during a renovation or remodeling project.
Keeping a Project Site Clean
Dust contamination is rather easy to overcome with the correct tools and equipment. Vacuums, whether it’s a shop-vac or HEPA vac, seem to be the easiest way of dust containment considering all the different tools and attachments available on today’s market.
Grinder dust shrouds connect to your hand-held grinder and vacuum at the same time. Dust shrouds allow almost all airborne dust particles to be captured keeping you, your co-workers, and anyone else on site safe from hazardous silica dust particles.
Attachments like the RTC Wale Tale will help keep hazardous dust levels at a minimum when mixing thin-set, concrete, and any other powder materials. Simply attach the Wale Tale to your vacuum, place it on your bucket, and start mixing.
The problem of dust contamination can be minimized by working in open areas when possible, including outdoors. This can prevent dust from accumulating in a smaller concentrated areas that can expose you and the ones around you to hazardous dust particles.
