SOROTO Dust Controllers can used as an attachment on all SOROTO Forced Action Mixers. The controller is proven to reduce dust emittance by up to 80% and in turn lessen the chance of harmful materials being breathed in whilst mixing dry materials. In this article we will be looking at how the dust controller can be used when mixing dry materials that give off sometimes hazardous amounts of harmful dust such as dry concrete, limestone and mortar. Without taking the necessary precautions when consistently working with and mixing dry materials, serious health conditions can develop.

WHAT ARE THE AFFECTS OF BEING EXPOSED TO DRY MATERIAL DUST?

When bag dumping, sanding, grinding or cutting dry materials such as cement, limestone, mortar and even sand, dust is released at a large rate and dominate the space around. If eyes or skin are exposed to it or the dust is inhaled, it can lead to serious long term health issues both externally and internally.

Externally, workers can become allergic to a part of cement called hexavalent chromium which a small percent of worker can develop after minutes or even years of working with cement. But once you have the allergy, it typically lasts a lifetime and prevents any future work with wet concrete or powder cement. The symptoms range from mild rashes to severe skin ulcers. The moisture from sweat or wet clothing reacts with the cement dust to form a caustic solution. If you aren’t familiar with caustic solution, it is an alkaline solution to used to dissolve grease, oils, fats and protein-based deposits and is highly corrosive to skin tissue. As well as the previous points mentioned, if your eyes are exposed to airborne dry material dust, immediate or delayed eye irritation can take place dependent on the level of exposure. Exposure can lead to a variety of issues from just redness to chemical burns and in some cases even blindness.

Internally, workers mixing dry materials that emit large amounts of dust can develop mild issues or serious respiratory issues varying from irritated noses and wheezing to developing silicosis or lung disease. The severity can depend on the amount of time spent exposed to harmful dust or the type of material used as some may contain higher levels of harmful compounds compared to others. Most materials that cause respiratory issues contain certain levels of crystalline-silica and this can be found in:

Asphalt, block, brick, ceramic tile, concrete, granite, grout, joint compound, mortar, pavers, roof, tiles, sand, slate, some siding, terrazzo and more.

Silica is a natural compound found in many materials that are common on a construction site, including soil, sand, concrete, masonry, rock, granite, and landscaping materials. It is harmful once it becomes a dust which can occur when mixing as it then contains crystalline silica particles which is very hazardous substance. The Royal College of Surgeons of England found that harmful dusts emitted from dry materials can lead to the development of silicosis or scarring of the lungs, which results in a loss of lung function and severe shortness of breath. They also discovered that large amounts of exposure to high concentrations can also lead to death.

HOW TO STOP HARMFUL DUST FROM AFFECTING YOUR SHORT AND LONG-TERM HEALTH

Although it may seem like a very bleak outlook, there is a simple solution to minimising the amount harmful dust being emitted from dry materials that are mixed together in a SoRoTo Forced Action Mixer.

The Dust Controller attachment can be used with almost all hoovers which are attached to the controller to suck as much dust out of the air as possible. When tested, our dust controller is proven to reduce dust emittance by up to 80% which is fantastic. The controller minimises the amount of dust in the air without compromising your access to and view of the material inside the forced action mixer.

If you have any questions about our Dust Controllers, Forced Action Mixers or any of our other products then please do not hesitate to contact us on 1800 422 992.