Silica Dust — poster
Cutting, grinding, or drilling concrete, brick, or stone releases crystalline silica — dust 100 times smaller than beach sand. It scars lungs permanently (silicosis), causes lung cancer, and you won't feel any of it for years.
Water-fed saws and drills, or tools with shrouds and HEPA vacuums. Visible dust cloud = you're doing it wrong. Dry sweeping concrete dust spreads it — use a HEPA vac or wet methods.
When wet methods and vacuums can't get exposure low enough, you need at least an N95 — fit-tested, and clean-shaven where it seals. A dusty respirator on the dashboard protects nobody.
Don't blow dust off clothes with compressed air. Wash hands and face before eating or smoking. Change out of dusty clothes before your truck and your home.
OSHA's silica standard sets a hard exposure limit and requires a written exposure control plan on covered tasks. Ask to see how your task is covered.
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