Fiber Cement Siding Breathed In A Lot Of Dust

Cutting fiber cement siding can produce clouds of dust and i wanted us to breathe in as little of it as possible.

Fiber cement siding breathed in a lot of dust.

To validate the effectiveness of a regular shop vacuum at reducing dust researchers conducted further studies at construction sites where workers were cutting fiber cement siding. Then rinse with the hose. Never use a hard or abrasive brush to clean cement fiber siding. Workers are exposed to crystalline silica dust in operations like cutting sawing drilling or crushing components that contain crystalline silica.

Wet a soft cloth and gently wipe away remaining dirt and dust moving with the grain of the siding and working from top to bottom. James hardie is here to help you work safely and efficiently with this standard. To get rid of any dirt dust and debris clean your siding gently once or twice a year using the following method. The dangers of fiber cement dust one of the main benefits of using fiber cement shears is reduction in exposure to fiber cement dust.

Fine cement and concrete dust can land on exposed skin and get trapped between loose clothing and skin. In 2016 osha updated its rules for controlling exposure to respirable silica dust. Dust containing silica is created when fibre cement weatherboards and other fibre cement and masonry products are cut ground drilled or otherwise disturbed. If you prefer to use a soft cloth to handle the debris wet it and wipe the siding until it is clean and once again rinse with the hose.

How much silica dust is too much. A serious burn or ulcer can rapidly develop if it is trapped against the skin. Wet cement is highly alkaline in nature. Crystalline silica is a mineral found in sand stone rock concrete brick block mortar and fiber cement siding.

If the silica particles in this dust are small enough known as respirable crystalline silica or rcs it can be breathed deep into the lungs and cause serious damage. Although this standard primarily affects installers and contractors any building professional can rely on this site as a resource for accurate information about the osha silica. This would not be easy because we needed to make a lot of long rip cuts and angled crosscuts for field joints. The dust reacts with sweat or damp clothing to form a corrosive solution which will damage your skin.

Take your soft brush and use it along the siding to remove the dust or chalk that you want to clean. Gently wipe away any loose dirt and debris with a soft non metal horsehair or paintbrush.