Concrete drilling: control silica dust

Leader: review the source and site procedures before presenting. Adapt this briefing to today’s task and the crew’s language and training needs. This is an original educational talk, not OSHA-issued training or certification.

Start the conversation

Drilling and cutting concrete can create respirable silica dust. Visible dust is a warning, but the absence of a visible cloud does not establish that exposure is controlled.

Key talking points

• Review the employer’s exposure-control plan before drilling, cutting, or grinding. The controls must match the tool and task.
• Use specified water delivery or dust collection correctly. Check hoses, shrouds, filters, and water supply before work; stop if the control fails.
• Keep nearby workers out of the dust exposure area and use the prescribed cleanup method. Avoid dry sweeping or compressed-air cleaning where prohibited by the silica standard.
• When respiratory protection is required, follow the employer’s respiratory-protection program, including applicable medical evaluation, fit testing, and training. A face covering is not a substitute.
• Electrical job example: dozens of anchors are needed for conduit supports in a concrete ceiling. Discuss the complete sequence, including drilling, moving between locations, and collecting waste. Plan the dust controls before unpacking the drill, and coordinate with anyone working below or beside the operation.
• Identify who checks the control equipment and where replacement components are available. A full container, damaged hose, or unavailable water supply can interrupt the approved method. Make the response clear: pause the dust-producing work and report the problem rather than finishing the remaining holes without the controls.
• Ask how the work area will be handed back to the next trade. Assign cleanup to a named person using the approved method, and include tools and equipment affected by the task. Record questions about unfamiliar substrates or changed drilling methods for the supervisor instead of assuming yesterday’s plan still applies.

Ask the crew

1. Which dust-control setup applies to today’s task?
2. What will we do if extraction or water stops?

Before work starts

Ask the supervisor to confirm the task-specific controls and cleanup method before work.