A NIOSH evaluation of asphalt production and road paving found that most measured respirable-dust and respirable-crystalline-silica exposures were below occupational limits, but some rock-shaker and pneumatic-chipping tasks could exceed limits; enclosed-cab filtration and water-based suppression reduced measured dust and silica exposures.
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page 6 · Our Key Findings · 1
page 6 · Our Key Findings · 1
Personal exposures to respirable dust and RCS were below occupational limits ... a quality control laboratory technician's exposure to RCS while operating and cleaning the rock shaker was above several occupational limits. ... RCS exposures for employees using a pneumatic chipping hammer ... could be above occupational exposure limits ... The enclosed cab had 6 times less respirable dust and 13 times less RCS ... When water was used ... the reduction ranged from 4 times to 14 times.