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This article describes the evaluation of the generation rate of respirable dust (GAPS, defined as the mass of respirable dust generated per unit linear length cut) from cutting fiber cement siding using different tools in a laboratory testing system. We used an aerodynamic particle sizer spectrometer (APS) to continuously monitor the real-time size distributions of the dust throughout cutting tests when using a variety of tools, and calculated the generation rate of respirable dust for each testing condition using the size distribution data. The test result verifies that power shears provided an almost dust-free operation with a GAPS of 0.006 gram meter−1 (g m−1) at the testing condition. For the same power saws, the cuts using saw blades with more teeth generated more respirable dusts. Using the same blade for all four miter saws tested in this study, a positive linear correlation was found between the saws’ blade rotating speed and its dust generation rate. In addition, a circular saw running at the highest blade rotating speed of 9068 RPM generated the greatest amount of dust. All the miter saws generated less dust in the ‘chopping mode’ than in the ‘chopping and sliding’ mode. For the tested saws, GAPS consistently decreased with the increases of the saw cutting feed rate and the number of board in the stack. All the test results point out that fewer cutting interactions between the saw blade’s teeth and the siding board for a unit linear length of cut tend to result in a lower generation rate of respirable dust. These results may help guide optimal operation in practice and future tool development aimed at minimizing dust generation while producing a satisfactory cut.

Inhalation of respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is a significant risk to worker health during well completions operations (which include hydraulic fracturing) at conventional and unconventional oil and gas extraction sites. RCS is generated by pneumatic transfer of quartz-containing sand during hydraulic fracturing operations. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) researchers identified concentrations of RCS at hydraulic fracturing sites that exceed 10 times the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) and up to 50 times the NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limit (REL). NIOSH research identified at least seven point sources of dust release at contemporary oil and gas extraction sites where RCS aerosols were generated. NIOSH researchers recommend the use of engineering controls wherever they can be implemented to limit the RCS released. A control developed to address one of the largest sources of RCS aerosol generation is the NIOSH mini-baghouse assembly, mounted on the thief hatches on top of the sand mover. This article details the results of a trial of the NIOSH mini-baghouse at a sand mine in Arkansas from November 18-21, 2013. During the trial, area air samples were collected at 12 locations on and around a sand mover with and without the mini-baghouse control installed. Analytical results for respirable dust and RCS indicate the use of the mini-baghouse effectively reduced both respirable dust and RCS downwind of the thief hatches. Reduction of airborne respirable dust ranged from 85-98%; reductions in airborne RCS ranged from 79-99%. A bulk sample of dust collected by the baghouse assembly showed the likely presence of freshly fractured quartz, a particularly hazardous form of RCS. Planned future design enhancements will increase the performance and durability of the mini-baghouse, including an improved bag clamp mechanism and upgraded filter fabric with a modified air-to-cloth ratio. Future trials are planned to determine additional respirable dust and RCS concentration reductions achieved through these design changes.

A laboratory testing system was developed to systematically characterize the dust generation rate and size-dependent crystalline silica content when cutting or shaping silica containing materials. The tests of cutting fiber cement siding in this system verify that it provides high test repeatability, making it suitable for the targeted characterizations. The mass-based size distributions obtained from a gravimetric-based instrument and a direct reading instrument both show bimodal lognormal distributions with a larger mode around 13 µm and another mode smaller than 5 µm for the dusts from cutting four different brands of fiber cement siding. The generation rates of respirable dust obtained from the two instruments are comparable, and the results from each instrument are similar for the four brands. The silica content in the airborne dusts, however, strongly depends on the amount of silica used in the respective product. It is also observed that the silica content in the airborne dust from cutting the four brands of fiber cement siding showed the same trend of an increase with the aerodynamic diameter of the dust, approaching the silica content levels found in their respective bulk samples. Combining the results for both the dust size distribution and size-dependent silica content, it is found that most of the respirable crystalline silica (RCS) resides in the dust about 2.5 µm in aerodynamic diameter. These results would help guide the development of specific engineering control measures targeted at lowering workers’ exposure to RCS while cutting fiber cement siding. With the high repeatability using the laboratory testing system, the dust generation rate could then be characterized under different operating conditions, and with the deployment of various engineering control measures. This would greatly facilitate the systematic evaluation of the control effectiveness and the selection of the optimal control solutions for field trials.

Process hazards review (PHR) techniques have generally been applied by large, sophisticated companies in the nuclear, aerospace, and chemical process industries. There remains, however, a large population of smaller distributors and consumers of hazardous materials which could benefit equally from the application of PHR. These consumers unfortunately are generally less sophisticated and individually lack the necessary resources required to apply such state-of-the-art safety techniques. Where common processes can be identified, it is possible to conduct a more generic PHR that will provide a sound technical basis for recognizing and preventing the development of hazards wherever these processes are used. Some facility-specific issues will always need to be considered, but the existence of the generic PHR should make the conduct of a PHR by each facility considerably easier and less costly. Researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) contracted with DNV Technica Inc. to lead a hazard and operability study (HAZOP) of agricultural handling of anhydrous ammonia, from the receipt of ammonia at the retail distribution centre to the application of the ammonia by farmers to the fields. The multidisciplinary HAZOP team consisted of representatives from NIOSH, an agricultural chemical trade association, an ammonia producer, state ammonia facility inspectors, a retail distributor, and an equipment manufacturer. Several participants were part-time farmers with ammonia application experience. Some specific aspects of applying the HAZOP technique in the context of this study, the findings obtained, and the plans to disseminate the important safety information developed during the course of the PHR are discussed. Finally, it is suggested that this approach could prove to be a useful addition to the product stewardship activities of chemical producers.