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Related Experiment Videos

Silica dust exposures during selected construction activities.

Mary Ellen Flanagan1, Noah Seixas, Maria Majar

  • 1University of Washington, Department of Environmental Health SC-34, Field Research and Consultant Group, 4225 Roosevelt Way NE, Suite 100, Seattle, WA 98115, USA.

AIHA Journal : a Journal for the Science of Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety
|June 18, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Construction workers face high silica dust exposure, with 71% of tasks exceeding limits. Respirators and controls are often inadequate, highlighting risks for masons and laborers.

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Area of Science:

  • Occupational Health
  • Industrial Hygiene
  • Environmental Science

Background:

  • Construction tasks generate significant dust, posing respiratory health risks.
  • Silica dust exposure is a major concern for construction workers, particularly masons and laborers.
  • Existing exposure limits are frequently exceeded during common construction activities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize quartz and respirable dust exposure levels for eight common dust-producing construction tasks.
  • To identify factors influencing dust exposure, including tools, work area, and control measures.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of respiratory protection and engineering controls in reducing exposure.

Main Methods:

  • Collected 113 personal task period air samples for quartz and respirable dust.

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  • Utilized time-integrating filter samples and direct-reading respirable dust monitors.
  • Recorded task, tool, work area, respiratory protection, controls, cross draft, and nearby dust generation.

    • Main Results:

    • The geometric mean quartz concentration for all tasks was 0.10 mg/m³, with 71% of samples exceeding the threshold limit value.
    • Surface grinding, tuck-point grinding, and concrete demolition showed the highest exposures.
    • Respiratory protection was inadequate for 42% of exposures, and engineering controls were used infrequently (12%) and often ineffectively.

    Conclusions:

    • Construction masons and laborers are frequently overexposed to silica dust.
    • Current respiratory protection methods are not always sufficient.
    • Engineering controls, such as vacuum/shrouds and box fans, can significantly reduce exposures but are underutilized.