Dust extraction is an ongoing challenge for the stonemasonry industry. With masons producing high volumes of abrasive and potentially harmful dust, it’s clear that proper extraction plays a role in keeping workers safe and healthy.
With that in mind, we decided to take a deeper look into the fume and dust extraction needs of the stonemasonry industry. Here we’ll explain the challenges and how fume and dust extraction can be used to retain a healthy and happy stonemasonry workforce.
What are the Risks?
There are numerous risks associated with the dust produced by stonemasonry, but the most dangerous one is the inhalation of silica. Silica is a natural substance found in varying amounts amongst most rock types, sand, and clay. Sandstone, for example, is high in silica with a 70% rate, while granite can contain anywhere from 15-30%.
These dusts are generated during most masonry tasks, including cutting, drilling, grinding and polishing. The finer elements of the dust are known as respirable crystalline silica (RCS) and are invisible to the naked eye. However, as the name implies, this dust is fine enough to make its way deep into the respiratory system, where it can cause significant health problems.
Silicosis
According to the NHS, ‘Silicosis is a long-term lung disease caused by inhaling large amounts of crystalline silica dust, usually over many years.’ It occurs when the RCS makes contact and subsequently becomes embedded in the respiratory system, where it causes inflammation. Gradually, it will create hardened and scarred tissue, reducing the lungs’ operational capacity.
In the long term, this reduced capacity can have other severe implications. For example, the NHS advises that those suffering from silicosis will be at higher risk of tuberculosis, heart failure, arthritis and kidney disease.
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The symptoms of silicosis include a persistent cough, shortness of breath and weakness or tiredness. They can take years to develop and are likely to worsen over time. Masonry workers may not notice problems until after they’ve stopped working with silica dust. This means employers must be proactive in using stonemasonry dust extraction systems to protect their workforce before symptoms develop.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
COPD is an umbrella term for a group of lung diseases, including bronchitis and emphysema. It can result in severe breathlessness, tracheal irritation from coughing, as well as long-term disability. Inhaling RCS is referenced by the NHS as one of the critical causes of COPD, with others including welding fumes, coal dust and more.
Similarly to silicosis, COPD symptoms include breathlessness (especially when exercising or at night), persistent chesty coughs and chest infections. Other less common symptoms can include weight loss, swollen ankles and chest pain, though these are more common at advanced stages. In addition, during the Covid-19 pandemic, COPD was identified as a risk factor for those suffering from Coronavirus. This highlights the ways in which it can make people more vulnerable to other severe respiratory conditions.
Unfortunately, COPD does not currently have a cure and instead must be treated and lived with. For this reason, employers must institute a prevent-first mentality regarding stonemasonry dust extraction systems to keep their employees safe.
Managing the Risks
The HSE has published some helpful guidelines to combat the risks presented by harmful dusts. This includes ways to control the exposure to silica dust, as well as a more general publication on controlling the exposure to stone dust. Properly using dust extraction systems in stonemasonry is at the heart of their advice.
Water Filtration
At present, water is the most common solution to stone dust extraction. This system relies on water walls or wet-filtered benches to filter out dust particles that can be washed away. However, the issue with using water is that it is only generally effective to 10 microns, meaning an air-based filtration system is often required too.
The moist air created by water filtration can have a negative impact on an air-based system. Furthermore, a wet filtration process can mean handling and disposing of sludge and relying on a system that can potentially freeze in cold weather.
VODEX Stonemasonry Dust Extraction
A more straightforward and elegant solution is an air-based filtration or extraction system. For example, our EXTRACTOR range is available in 38-litre and 100-litre capacities. They can extract 1400m3/HR of air, making them perfect for various uses, including on-tool and general extraction of small chips, dust and fine dusts (like RCS). Alternatively, our RP Downdraft Bench provides a specialist solution for stone, brick and slate dusts. It utilises filters that can be quickly cleaned by the inbuilt reverse pulse jet system. This innovative mechanism emits a short burst of compressed air, rapidly cleaning excess dust from the filters. It’s perfect for heavier dust loads, dry stone cutting, and ceramics.
If your project is too large-scale for that, then the Vertex provides a great way to use dust extraction in stonemasonry industries with larger workloads. It benefits from a modular, cross-draught extraction system with pulse-jet filters, making it easy to maintain and energy-efficient. In addition, their modular design means they can be easily attached to create an extraction booth sized to your needs.
For those desiring a smaller, mobile extraction solution, the DUSTOMAT-10 might be the best choice. Perfect for small and medium-sized individual processing machines or manual workstations, it effectively extracts stone dusts and can double as an industrial vacuum with an optional floor cleaning kit. Its extremely quiet operation and small design make it perfect for less extensive projects.
