According to the World Health Organization (WHO), airborne dust is a major concern in the work environment. It’s associated with dangerous occupational diseases like pneumoconiosis, cancer, allergic alveolitis, and asthma. For this reason, companies are adopting effective dust control strategies and tools like those from BossTek. That way, they protect their workers from dust-related diseases. This article will look at some dust control methods that construction companies use to protect workers from airborne dust. These methods are simple and effective such that you can implement them today.

Construction Companies Leverage Misting Cannons to Control Airborne Dust

Excavation and demolition processes cause large clouds of airborne dust in construction companies and sites. You cannot mitigate this kind of dust with conventional dust control techniques like sprinklers. Construction companies increasingly use misting cannons that leverage modern technology to control airborne dust. These systems leverage powerful booster pumps, robust fan motors, and specially-made nozzles to atomize water particles in a size range of 50 to 200 microns. This is the optimum size range of water droplets that efficiently drop airborne dust particles to the ground without experiencing the slipstream effect. For this reason, misting cannons can be a gamechanger in construction companies dealing with dust. Just ensure you buy a misting cannon from a credible supplier. Other suppliers offer you the option of renting if massive airborne dust is an occasional problem.

Equipping Employees with Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE)

Water suppression may not always be appropriate to reduce employee exposure to fugitive dust. For example, water-based dust control is not applicable when employees are directly involved in construction tasks that emit dust. In that case, respiratory protective equipment (RPE) or a respirator is an excellent choice to mitigate employee exposure to airborne dust. RPEs use filters to eliminate air contaminants in the workplace.

These devices are available in two types. First, there are the non-powered respirators that depend on the wearers’ breathing to control air intake through the filter. They are suitable if your employees work in a dust source for short hours. The second is the powered respirators that use a motor to draw clean air to the wearers. They are better if employees work around a dust source for long hours. When choosing RPEs or respirators for your employees, ensure that the respirators can handle the amount and type of dust in your construction company. Each RPE has an assigned protection factor (APF) that shows how much protection it gives the wearer. Also, make sure the respirators fit your employees. You’ll need face-fit testing to ensure the masks fit users tightly.

On-tool Dust Removal

This technique eliminates dust particles as they are produced to prevent them from becoming airborne. On-tool dust removal leverages a local exhaust ventilation (LEV) system that fits directly to the tool construction employees use in dust-producing activities, like wall chasing. The elements involved in this dust control technique are the tool, extraction unit, tubing, and capturing hood.

Airborne dust is a severe problem with adverse effects—from potentially deadly diseases and non-compliance with regulations. Join other construction companies using the above airborne dust control techniques to protect your employees.