How to Control Road Dust on Construction Sites?

It's time to change the way you think about road dust on the construction site. Dust in the workplace is much more than a nuisance. Silica, lead, asbestos and wood dust present serious health risks to contractors, remodelers, and their customers. You may have completed a beautiful plumbing job, but if you've made a mess in the work area, that's what customers will notice." One of the most common mistakes. “The supervisor has a role to play in making sure workers are protected.

By 2010, new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations on lead-based paint repair and renovation meant major changes for contractors working on homes and establishments built before 1978.

Under the new legislation, contractors must use lead-safe work practices, complete an eight-hour class to become lead-certified remodelers, and have all employees trained by a certified remodeling professional.

“Keeping the job site clean is an opportunity for remodeling professionals to do a better job; to satisfy their customers and to provide a better experience for their customers. Satisfying your customers should be the biggest motivating factor.

Is construction dust harmful?

Construction Dust: Any construction or remodeling activity. The powder is an effective carrier of aspergillus, a fungus that causes invasive disease in hospital patients called aspergillosis.

Silica: Masonry and concrete work, dry sweeping of concrete sand and mortar, sanding/finishing drywall joints, demolition of concrete and masonry structures or plaster ceilings/walls, loading, transporting and unloading stones. Silica dust can cause silicosis; Lung damage is caused by inhalation of dust containing fine particles of crystalline silica.

Asbestos: Major renovations can remove asbestos material. Asbestos can be present in roof tiles and siding; the insulation of houses built between 1930 and 1950; textured paint and patching compounds used in wall and ceiling joints before 1977; and vinyl tiles. Asbestos is known to cause lung cancer; mesothelioma, a cancer of the inner lining of the chest and abdominal cavity; and asbestosis, in which the lungs become rough with fibrous tissue.

Wood Dust: Sanding, sawing, or shaping of wood. Its exposure has been associated with dermatitis, asthma, hypersensitivity, pneumonitis, chronic bronchitis, and cancer.

How to create a dustproof entrance

• Fold the protective laminate at the top and bottom before taping it, leaving it slack.

• Apply duct tape or blue painter's tape to the protective laminate around the perimeter of the opening. Leave it loose at the top and bottom. To reinforce, staple the corner.

• Cut a hole in the protective laminate 6 inches (15 cm) from the top and bottom. To reinforce, staple the corners.

• Tape another sheet of protective laminate to the top of the door, just short of the floor. Staple the top corners.

Minimize dust creation

To reduce dust on the construction site where you work:

• Spray areas before sanding, scraping, felling, or cutting

• Use a wet saw when cutting masonry or concrete

• Use HEPA output control while grinding, sanding at high speeds, power planing, abrasive sanding or sandblasting

• Cut the paint and loosen its components, instead of hitting and hammering, to produce less dust and fewer paint chips during demolition

• Use materials that reduce dust when possible. For example, reduce silica exposure by using abrasives that contain less than 1 percent crystalline silica and USG Sheetrock Plus 3 with Dust Control, which is designed to create less dust when sanding than traditional joint compounds.

Contain the dust

One way to reduce dust on the construction site is to contain the dust. To do this, remove all objects from the work area or cover them with plastic sheeting and seal their edges and edges with duct tape.

Fold the protective laminate top and bottom before taping it, leaving it slack. Apply duct tape or blue painter's tape to the protective laminate around the perimeter of the opening. Leave it loose at the top and bottom. To reinforce, staple the corner.

Then tape the plastic sheeting to the work area floor and an additional 6 feet and cover doors and openings using a 6-mil polyester protective plastic sheeting and tape.

Prevent dust from spreading through the HVAC system by shutting down the system and taping polyester laminate over all supply and intake registers; also, if possible, ventilate the area.

Clean daily

Clean the area at the end of each day. Put trash and debris in heavy-duty bags and take them out every day. Clean tools and vacuum the work area with a HEPA vacuum; since using a standard broom or vacuum cleaner would spread the dust into the air.

In case of asbestos dust, wet mop: never vacuum or sweep. After the job is complete, EPA's lead-safe work practices require a thorough cleanup of the area to ensure that no dust, debris, or residue remains.

Before removing the plastic laminate, spray it with water, fold the dirty side in and tape it closed; discard the laminate. HEPA vacuum all surfaces, including walls, and wash all uncarpeted floors, counters, and countertops with a damp, disposable cloth. The new law requires verification of cleanliness.

Get certified Road Dust Control Contractors

Road Dust Control Contractors must first be aware of the potential dangers, to workers and building occupants, of creating any kind of dust. Controlling and reducing dust on the construction site is a simple way for contractors to distinguish themselves from their competition, and it's not particularly expensive. Satisfaction, and dust control costs become an investment. With the benefits to both your health and your income, now may be just the time to make dust control part of your strategy.”

Road dust control contractors Houston is committed to helping you reduce dust exposure and increase productivity on the jobsite with tools and services designed to reduce dust risks. To do this, Pavement services offers a complete system of solutions ranging from material for use on construction sites to prevention.