Q. We read your column on asbestos, and ours sounds like the same kind of problem. Our son is working for a tile flooring company, doing large installations. He spends hours, at times, cutting tile and even grinding concrete, which has started to worry us. He comes home with fine dust in his clothes and hair, and it concerns us that he’s inhaling that dust. Is a paper dust mask enough for this kind of job, and do you know if there are safety requirements? He just got a respirator, but I’m seeing on the internet that that may not be enough. Is it safe to be working around this dust?
A We should all be are aware of building safety and report dangerous conditions. It is a similar problem, between asbestos and silica dust from mixing, cutting or drilling using tools, even walk-behind saws, for tile, concrete or stucco. When these materials are mechanically cut, tooled or ground up, it releases crystalline silica into the air, causing serious and possibly fatal consequences.
For many years, workers have been exposed to dust, whether from burning, grinding, cutting or routing, and serious health problems have led to tougher regulations. For those who feel that regulations should be limited or abolished, remember that inhaling particulates that were not properly tested at the World Trade Center recovery site, for example, led to grief, illness and painful death for rescuers and civilians who showed up for work that fateful day. The cost of medical attention and restitution to families far outweighs the cost of prevention. Who needs to suffer when we can prevent it in the first place?
Building occupants, especially during a renovation, should also be aware of rules and procedures. When dust is airborne, it’s a potential health hazard. In June 2017, new rules were enacted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, which you can find at several sites on the internet. Note that dust containment is a critical factor, using water spray mist, dust shrouds (collectors) and/or high-efficiency particulate air, or HEPA, filtration during any kind of handling of materials producing dust particles.