The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued the final rule to protect workers from silica dust by limiting their exposure in 2016. This means that every construction site or industrial site using silica products should comply with the directive. The rule established a permissible exposure to silica dust.
Silica is one of the most harmful types of dust on a work site. It causes silicosis, an incurable, fatal lung disease. It is, therefore, essential to have silica dust control systems to remove dust from the air and keep your work safe while ensuring that you comply with the regulations. Here is a look at the different silica dust collection system you can choose from.
Dust control needs
The amount of airflow needed to catch and move particulates to the dust collection system is directly proportionate to its size. The type and size of the system requirements can be determined with the use of a dust management assessment. What sizes of particulate pollutants will be collected? Is ventilation air to be expelled or returned to the warehouse? Is dust produced continuously, or just during a certain process? Such an assessment can assist in choosing the best dust control system for your requirements.
Health benefits
The primary benefit of removing dust from the worksite is its positive impact on health. Once in the air, dust and particles can offer a variety of health risks to individuals who are exposed to them. Respiratory problems, allergic reactions, poisoning, and some types of cancer can be caused by fine dust particles, which are made up of a variety of compounds found in different materials, including metals, silica, wood, and minerals. If a dust collector is cost-effective enough to suit the requirements, it can significantly enhance workers’ working conditions.
Budgetary considerations
Companies should be able to decide what kind and size of a dust control system to buy when an examination of the site’s dust management demands is finished. Although a dust collector may be less expensive initially than a baghouse and cartridge dust collector, can it match the facility’s long-term requirements for particulate matter (PM) capture efficiency? The system’s overall pressure drop might be lower with just one air-material separator than with a dust collection system, leading to long-term energy savings from a reduction in fan horsepower. If cleanability is necessary for the application, this should be compared to the maintenance expenses.
System footprint
The placement of the dust collector is crucial. An air-material separator that is small, very effective, and reasonably priced is a freestanding control system. However, if the system also needs a downstream dust collection, more floor space and frequently more headroom are needed. The overall system is complicated by the two independent discharge sites for the collected dust produced by a baghouse, cyclone, or cartridge dust collector.
You can choose many silica dust control systems, but they will be determined by the nature of your worksite and the product or service you offer. Sometimes silica dust is naturally occurring; therefore, it is hard to eliminate or substitute, but you can implement control methods to keep your workers safe.
