Case Study
A test chamber designed to measure respirable dust for product stewardship
A construction materials manufacturer needed to label its
products and provide guidance for safe work practices when using
its products. To do that the manufacturer needed to know the amount
of respirable dust that could be generated by workers using the
products under various conditions.
Workers use a variety of different tools and follow various work
practices to size cement board products commonly used in the
construction industry. The total amount of respirable dust
generated during cutting operations will vary depending on the
product type, worker techniques, cutting frequency, tools and dust
collection devices used during the work activity.
RJ Lee Group designed and constructed a test chamber to simulate a
controlled environment in which we could sample for respirable
dust. We tested a number of different construction products and
tools and duplicated worker techniques and their corresponding
activity rates. Using real-time, direct-read instrumentation in
conjunction with traditional integrated air sampling techniques, we
recorded the results. We analyzed the samples to determine total
respirable dust and to evaluate the dust for chemicals of potential
concern.
Data from these studies were used for the development of
respirable dust generation rates and modeling of exposure impacts.
As a result of these studies, we were able to provide the client
manufacturer with sufficient information to appropriately label its
products and to provide the necessary warnings for personal
protective equipment and dust controls when using its products.
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