4 Best Practices for Dust Suppression and Control in Construction

4 Best Practices for Dust Suppression and Control in Construction: Construction dust can seriously harm the health of your workers and also affect the quality of their work. Regularly breathing dust can cause diseases like silicosis, asthma, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Some of these diseases can sometimes even cause death. Therefore, you need dust control measures from Bosstec at your site to keep dust under control.

Recognize that dust is a workplace hazard

The dust that accumulates in the workplace is not the same as the dust in your home. Dust is created by construction works and is made up of small particles such as ceramics, wood, powdered crystals, metals, and concrete. Certain characteristics make dust a health and safety hazard. These include flammability and toxicity.

Flammability and toxicity hazard

It is not surprising that dust explosions have occurred in many workplaces, including the chemical, construction, and food industries. This is mainly because various combustible dust mites may be present in your workplace. Explosive risk management requires good housekeeping practices to ensure negligible airborne dust due to combustion. Dust generated on a construction site comes from cutting, sandblasting, and grinding. This dust contains silica, which is hazardous to the health of anyone who comes into contact with it.

How to ensure effective dust control

The best way to deal with dust is to remove it or blow it off using compressed air. While this is a very difficult way to clean dust, it is the most effective way to control dust in the workplace, but it does not permanently eliminate all health and safety hazards.

Here are some best practices for managing dust in your workplace.

Remove dust from its source

An effective dust control method that captures the same amount of dust from the source. This involves moving airborne dust particles through duct systems and dust collectors.

Clean hidden areas frequently

Make sure that the people who clean your workplace always clean areas that can easily be overlooked. Such locations include the top of support beams, ventilation shafts, and false ceilings. Areas cannot be easily seen and excessive dust can accumulate which can damage your workplace.

Design a dust-free workplace

Design a dust-free workplace that prevents dust build-up. You can do this by removing flat surfaces around your workspace. Getting rid of unused surfaces is also a great way to ensure dust doesn’t collect in unwanted places. If your business is undergoing retrofitting or renovation, you should implement a dust-fighting design before starting construction projects. Once you do, you reduce the number of time workers has to spend cleaning up after renovations.

Maintain your equipment well and have it serviced regularly

Always keep your ventilation system and equipment and your workplace clean and in good working order. It will help if you set up procedures for your ventilation system. Ensure that the system is thoroughly inspected and maintained and replaced in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendation.