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Silica Dust Controls
At Craftsman Concrete Floors, silica exposure control is a core part of planning and performing grinding and polishing work. We use dust collection equipment suited to the task, appropriate personal protective equipment—including respiratory protection where required—and controlled cleanup procedures to protect our crews and others working nearby.
Silica controls must match the work being performed. A floor grinder, a handheld edge grinder, and cleanup operations have different requirements. Connecting a vacuum to a machine does not, by itself, establish that the work meets OSHA’s silica standard.
For covered construction work, OSHA’s respirable crystalline silica standard provides two exposure-control routes: fully implement the applicable Table 1 controls, or assess and control exposure under the alternative requirements in paragraph (d).
Coordinate dust controls, cleanup, and access restrictions within the polished concrete installation plan.
Match the control method to the equipment
Walk-behind floor grinders
OSHA Table 1, row (xiii), covers walk-behind milling machines and floor grinders. It provides two options:
| Control method | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Integrated water delivery | Continuously feed water to the cutting surface. Operate and maintain the machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions to minimize dust emissions. |
| Dust collection | Use the manufacturer-recommended dust collection system, with the recommended airflow or greater, a filter with at least 99% efficiency, and a filter-cleaning mechanism. Operate and maintain the machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. |
Under the dust-collection option, indoor or enclosed work also requires a HEPA-filtered vacuum to remove loose dust between passes. A 99% filter-efficiency requirement is not the same as HEPA filtration; OSHA defines HEPA as at least 99.97% efficiency for particles 0.3 micrometers in diameter.
Table 1 lists no required respirator for either floor-grinder option when its controls are fully and properly implemented. That does not mean every machine described as a polisher or burnisher automatically qualifies under this row.
Handheld grinders
Handheld grinders used for purposes other than mortar removal fall under Table 1, row (xii).
The dust-collection option requires:
- A commercially available shroud and dust collection system.
- At least 25 cubic feet per minute of airflow per inch of wheel diameter.
- A filter with at least 99% efficiency.
- A cyclonic pre-separator or filter-cleaning mechanism.
- Operation and maintenance according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
For this option, indoor or enclosed handheld grinding requires respiratory protection with a minimum assigned protection factor of 10 when the employee performs more than four hours of combined Table 1 tasks during the shift. Table 1 lists no respirator requirement for the shorter-duration indoor category or for outdoor use.
The handheld grinder’s integrated-water option is listed for outdoor tasks only. It should not be treated as the Table 1 wet-control option for indoor edge grinding.
The 25-cfm-per-inch requirement belongs to handheld grinders. Walk-behind floor grinders instead use the airflow recommended by the machine manufacturer or greater.
Control exposure beyond the equipment
Beyond the machine, Table 1 work calls for exhaust as needed indoors or in enclosed areas and enough water flow for wet methods; combined task duration across the shift selects the respiratory-protection column. Unlisted tasks, or controls not fully and properly implemented, require an exposure assessment. Dust controls must continue after the grinding pass.
Account for the working environment and the whole shift
For Table 1 tasks indoors or in enclosed areas, provide exhaust as needed to minimize the accumulation of visible airborne dust. Wet methods require enough water flow to minimize visible dust release.
When an employee performs several Table 1 tasks during a shift, use their combined duration to select the respiratory-protection column. Do not restart the duration calculation each time the worker changes tools.
Use the alternative exposure-control route when necessary
If a task is not listed in Table 1, or its listed controls are not fully and properly implemented, paragraph (d) applies. The employer must assess exposure and ensure it does not exceed the permissible exposure limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air, averaged over eight hours.
A vacuum’s airflow rating or the absence of an obvious dust cloud does not substitute for the required exposure assessment.
Control dust during cleanup
Dust controls must continue after the grinding pass.
OSHA prohibits dry sweeping or dry brushing where it could contribute to silica exposure unless wet sweeping, HEPA-filtered vacuuming, or another exposure-minimizing method is not feasible.
Compressed air cannot be used to clean clothing or surfaces where it could contribute to exposure unless the resulting dust cloud is effectively captured by ventilation or no alternative method is feasible.
Document the plan and check specifications
The employer’s written exposure-control plan must describe the tasks, their controls, housekeeping methods and access restrictions, and a designated competent person must make frequent and regular inspections to implement it. An additional project specification, where incorporated, can add equipment requirements for dust control, but it does not replace OSHA’s task-specific exposure-control requirements.
Establish the exposure-control plan and responsibilities
The employer’s written exposure-control plan must describe:
- Tasks that involve silica exposure.
- Engineering controls, work practices, and respiratory protection for each task.
- Housekeeping methods.
- Procedures for restricting access when necessary to reduce exposure, including exposure generated by other employers.
A designated competent person must make frequent and regular inspections to implement the plan. Covered employees must understand the hazards, relevant tasks, protective measures, and the identity of that person. Training must also cover the standard’s requirements and the purpose and description of the medical surveillance program.
Check additional project specifications
Where ACI SPEC-310.1-20 is incorporated into the project, it adds equipment requirements for dust control.
Its default dust-collection provision calls for a HEPA-filtered vacuum connected to the polishing equipment and capable of controlling dust to meet OSHA’s respirable crystalline silica exposure limits. Handheld grinders require a shroud and a dust collection system meeting the applicable ACI provision.
These equipment requirements do not replace OSHA’s task-specific exposure-control requirements. Project-specific contract documents govern conflicts with the ACI specification.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Not by itself. Compliance depends on the applicable exposure-control route and the complete requirements for the task, including equipment, airflow, work practices, housekeeping, and any required respiratory protection.
No. That Table 1 requirement applies to handheld grinders and refers to wheel diameter. The walk-behind floor-grinder entry requires the manufacturer-recommended airflow or greater.
The integrated-water option for handheld grinders used for purposes other than mortar removal is listed for outdoor tasks only. Indoor work must use an applicable, fully implemented Table 1 option or follow the alternative exposure-control requirements.
Not where it could contribute to silica exposure, unless wet sweeping, HEPA-filtered vacuuming, or another method that minimizes exposure is not feasible. Cleanup is part of the exposure-control plan.
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