EVALUATION OF DUST CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES IN CONSTRUCTION

使用混凝土和石材的建筑活动可能会导致职业暴露于结晶二氧化硅粉尘的增加。特别是，石匠和混凝土修饰工使用电动研磨、钻孔和切割工具可能会导致不安全的二氧化硅粉尘暴露。该项目的主要目标是评估商业上可用的但未经测试的砖石工具，以确定它们在减少粉尘排放方面的有效性。将进行一系列半控制实验，以确定6种不同类别的手持砌块电动工具使用时，抑制水和局部通风控制技术的有效性。由最初的半控制试验确定的最有希望的工具/控制组合将在施工现场使用期间进行进一步测试，以评估非理想条件如何影响工具/控制性能，并评估工人和管理人员的接受度。找出降低石英尘暴露的有效控制策略，将为砖石建筑行业提供实用指导，降低该行业与二氧化硅接触相关的职业性肺病的可能性。

Elevated occupational exposures to crystalline silica dust can result from construction activities in which concrete and stone are used. In particular, the use of power grinding, drilling, and cutting tools by masons and concrete finishers can result in unsafe exposures to silica dust. The main objective of this project is to evaluate commercially available, but untested, masonry tools to determine their effectiveness in reducing dust emissions. A series of semi-controlled experiments will be conducted to determine the effectiveness of water suppression and local ventilation control techniques when used with 6 different classes of hand-held masonry power tools. The most promising tool/control combinations, as determined by initial semi- controlled experiments, will be further tested during use at a construction site to evaluate how non-ideal conditions affect tool/control performance and to assess worker and management acceptance. The identification of effective control strategies for reducing silica dust exposures will provide practical guidance to masonry construction industry and reduce the possibility of occupational lung disease related to silica exposure in this industry.