Implementing dust control measures in your construction site takes effort and strategy. Some types of dust emitted such as silica dust are dangerous to your workers’ health and should be avoided by all means. Since dust is inevitable in virtue of the work processes taking place, you need to know how to suppress it. Fortunately, there are various dust control methods that you can choose from for your site. Below find steps to implement effective dust suppression systems for your construction site.
Identify fugitive dust sources
The first step to implementing dust suppression is to identify all the potential fugitive dust sources. Ensure that you establish if the dust comes from haul roads, construction sites, unpaved roads, or grain bins. In doing so, you’ll easily come up with a solution of how to manage it. Several options are available at bosstek.com.
Develop a plan
Once you identify all the potential fugitive dust sources, you can develop a working plan for dust suppression. Come up with a checklist of all the sources and control methods you’re planning to apply. Once you have this, go ahead and implement but don’t forget to create another checklist of how each method is working. Keeping a record of your dust suppression measures will act as a reminder of routine fugitive dust control efforts. It’s also a simple way to carry out self-inspection and confirm that your measures to keep dust levels at a minimum are viable.
Elimination at the source
To successfully eliminate airborne dust at the source, you need to work on three areas which are the production process, the hazardous substances, and work practices. In such a case, you can change the construction material to one that eliminates less dust than the previous. For hazardous substances, you can change the process such that the hazardous substance is no longer needed or it’s used as a substitute. If you note that the two ways don’t help, you can opt to go for work practices that produce less dust such that substances are used in other forms rather than in powder form. For instance, materials can be used in pellets or liquid form, or come as preformed blocks. This way, less cutting will be carried out at the workplace, thus eliminating dust.
Containment and ventilation
Another effective step is using containment and ventilation measures. Containment generally involves setting up a barrier that separates the dust substance and people. This, together with a ventilation system will ensure the enclosure has negative pressure such that there’s no emission at the cracks or the dust generation points. For easier cleaning and maintenance, you should go for a system with an excellent design. This way, you can maintain it without causing any extreme exposures or unnecessary breakdowns.
You can always manage to suppress dust at your construction site if you use the right methods. The steps above, whether the low-cost or high cost will help you achieve this. In addition to the above steps, you can consider using a dust collection system for your construction site. This way, you’ll effectively suppress dust and maintain a clean and safe working environment for your workers.