Silicosis Prevention: Tool Box Session. Georgia Tech Safety and Health Consultation Program2 What is Silica? u Composes 15% of Earths Crust u Examples:

Silicosis Prevention: Tool Silicosis Prevention: Tool Box SessionBox Session

Georgia Tech Safety and Health Consultation Program 2

What is Silica?What is Silica?

Composes 15% of Earth’s Crust Examples:– Sand, Granite, other “Hard” rocks

Quartz, most common Crystalline Silica– has a diagnostic X-ray diffraction

pattern


Silica and DiseaseSilica and Disease

250 Worker deaths per year– (175 deaths/yr from trenching accidents)

Silicosis Tuberculosis Heart Disease

Lung Cancer?– Suspect Hum. Carcinogen –A2 (ACGIH)

Examples of Silica Exposures Examples of Silica Exposures in Constructionin Construction






TuckpointingTuckpointing

Controls for SilicaControls for Silica


Types of Engineering ControlsTypes of Engineering Controls

1. Wet Methods

2. Ventilated Tools

3. Abrasive Blasting Controls:– Alternate Media– Alternate Processes


Wet Methods: Joint CuttingWet Methods: Joint Cutting


Wet Methods: Portable SawWet Methods: Portable Saw


Wet Methods: Pre-planningWet Methods: Pre-planning


Wet Methods: Block CuttingWet Methods: Block Cutting


Engineering ControlEngineering Control2. Ventilation2. Ventilation

Portable tools with dust exhaust:– Surface Grinders– Disc Grinders (tuck pointing)– Crack chaser– Scarifier– Descaler– Power chipping tools

Retrofit Dust hoods


Control by Ventilation: Slab Control by Ventilation: Slab CuttingCutting


Control by Ventilation: Hand Control by Ventilation: Hand toolstools


Control by Ventilation: Control by Ventilation: TuckpointingTuckpointing


Engineering Controls: Engineering Controls: 3. Substitute Abrasives3. Substitute Abrasives

Coal slag (“black beauty”) Steel grit & steel shot Aluminum oxide Sodium Bicarbonate– (baking soda)

Dust Suppressed Sand Frozen CO2 Ag. Prod. (walnut shells, corn

cobs)

Silicosis is not a Curable Silicosis is not a Curable DiseaseDisease

Prevention is critical

Use Safe Work Practices


Silicosis Prevention: Tool Box Session. Georgia Tech Safety and Health Consultation Program2 What is Silica? u Composes 15% of Earths Crust u Examples:

Documents

silica slide

critical u

wet methods u

tuckpointing slide

health consultation

ventilated tools u

sand u frozen co2 u

ventilation u portable