With rising health care costs and the increased need to retain a strong, reliable workforce, protecting employee health has become a top priority. Implementing dust collection equipment can help safeguard your personnel from dangerous levels of inhalable minerals such as crystalline silica dust. Processing plants that handle materials such as soil, glass, concrete, rock and sand materials produce the highest levels of this substance. Exposure to silica dust often causes scar tissue to form inside the lungs, producing nodules that inhibit proper breathing. This condition is known as silicosis.
According to OSHA, the best way to reduce the risk for silicosis is by eliminating or controlling airborne crystalline silica dust. Dust collection systems have proven to be highly effective tools for silica dust control and should be used on or near machines that have been identified as the key sources of this material. For optimal results, choose cyclone-based dust collection since it doesn’t require much maintenance and easily handles abrasive, granular substances.