10th International Aerosol Conference September 2 - September 7, 2018 America's Center Convention Complex St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Abstract View
Engineering Controls to Reduce Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica during Stone Countertop Grinding
CHAOLONG QI, Alan Echt, NIOSH
Abstract Number: 85 Working Group: Control and Mitigation
Abstract Natural and engineered stone countertops became increasingly popular among consumers in recent years. Unfortunately, a large amount of dust that contains crystalline silica can be produced during stone countertop fabrication and installation. Inhalation of respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is one of the best-documented workplace hazards, with a large body of research strongly demonstrating that chronic overexposures cause silicosis and increase the risk of lung cancer. Finishing stone countertops using handheld grinders was among the tasks with the highest exposures to RCS documented in a NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation at a stone countertop factory, where the exposure levels exceeded the NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limit (REL), even during wet grinding with water supplied to the grinder. In this study, NIOSH researchers investigated two additional engineering control measures for reducing workers’ exposures to RCS during stone countertop grinding: a mobile dust control booth where countertop grinding was done inside the booth, and a sheet-water wetting method in addition to the existing water-fed grinder. The effectiveness of these two engineering control measures was evaluated in a series of field surveys and the results are reported in this presentation.