NIOSH reports that rock drilling during construction can generate hazardous dust containing crystalline silica, and that an uncontrolled drill operator exposure reached 16 times the NIOSH REL.
Source: CDC/NIOSH: Engineering Controls — Reducing Hazardous Dust Exposure when Rock Drilling During Construction ↗Dust entry
Rock-drilling dust
Airborne dust generated by rock drilling during construction site preparation, pipeline installation, and water-well drilling.
Airborne form
dust
The form describes what is suspended in air at the point of exposure. A material can produce more than one form, such as dust during handling and fume during heating.
Health effects
silicosislung cancerkidney diseasereduced lung functionairway disease
Evidence
Controls
- wet drilling
- dry dust-collection controls
- enclosed cabs
- source containment
- exposure monitoring
- appropriate respiratory protection