Case Study to Identify Barriers and Incentives to Implementing an Engineering Control for Concrete Grinding Dust
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 136, Issue 11
Abstract
Research has indicated that respirable crystalline silica dust exposure is a serious health hazard in the construction industry. One source of this hazard is the dust generated by drilling, sawing, chipping, and grinding concrete. There are several options for controlling this hazard, one of which is the use of local exhaust ventilation (LEV) directly attached to the cutting tool. Implementing an engineering control presents a challenge on the construction work site where it is often difficult to determine who will take the initiative for introducing an innovative strategy. This study examines the implementation of an LEV system on an overhead grinder illustrating the roles that various members of the construction team played. The results of the case study found that key factors that affected implementation were: (1) a cooperative relationship between individuals employed by the general contractor and the concrete subcontractor; (2) the effect of high airborne dust levels on scheduling the work of other subcontractors; (3) the public relations effects of high dust levels in a downtown area; and (4) the concrete subcontractor perceived benefits that exceeded the short-term cost of the intervention.
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Acknowledgments
The writers gratefully acknowledge the participation of the following organizations without whom this research would not have been possible: Suffolk Construction Company, S and F Concrete, Inc., and the local unions of the Laborers International Union of North America. This publication was supported by Grant Nos. UNSPECIFIEDCCU317202 and UNSPECIFIED1U54OH008307 from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in cooperation with The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the writers and do not necessarily represent the official views of NIOSH.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 136 • Issue 11 • November 2010
Pages: 1238 - 1248
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Jan 12, 2009
Accepted: Apr 22, 2010
Published online: Apr 27, 2010
Published in print: Nov 2010
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