Control of Hazardous Dust During

Tuckpointing
exposure to dust containing crystal- (Figure 1). The dust may be carried
Summary line silica. throughout the workplace. When
workers use compressed air to clean
Construction workers are ex- As brick buildings get older, the mor-
posed to hazardous dust when their clothes, tools, and equipment,
tar between the bricks starts to fall
grinding or cutting mortar or ce- even more dust is added to the air.
apart and needs to be replaced to pre-
ment from between the bricks of vent water intrusion into the build-
old buildings. The National Insti- ing. Before replacing the mortar, ½ Controls
tute for Occupational Safety and to ¾ inch of the old mortar is re-
Health (NIOSH) found that ex- moved by using a grinder. The grind- NIOSH has identified control mea-
posures could be reduced using er breaks up the mortar and turns it sures to reduce worker exposure to
tool-mounted local exhaust ven- into airborne dust that may contain hazardous dust during tuckpointing.
tilation and work practices. crystalline silica. The crystalline sil- Studies [Heitbrink and Collingwood
ica dust released during tuckpoint- 2005; Collingwood and Heitbrink
ing operations is very hard to control 2007] show how an industrial vacuum
Description of
Exposure
Workers who use grinders to remove
deteriorated mortar between bricks
(tuckpointing) may be exposed to
crystalline silica at concentrations
up to 100 times the NIOSH rec-
ommended exposure limit (REL) of
50 µg/m3 [Shields 1999]. Breathing
dust that contains silica can lead to
the development of silicosis, a dead-
ly lung disease. In addition, exposure
to crystalline silica has been linked to
lung cancer, kidney disease, reduced
lung function, and other disorders
[NIOSH 2002]. No effective treat-
ment exists for silicosis, but it can
be prevented by controlling workers’ Figure 1. Uncontrolled mortar removal generating hazardous exposure to dust.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
cleaner attached via a flexible hose to a shroud that par- point for the hose of 2 inches to match the diameter
tially encloses the grinding disk can reduce silica dust by of the hose. Some tuckpointing grinders come with an
5 to 20 times during tuckpointing when compared with attached shroud (e.g., Dust Director, Bosch Tuckpoint
studies in which no dust controls were used. Grinder Model 1775E).

Additional studies are needed to improve the design

and effectiveness of this control. However, the inter- Work Practices
im guidelines below can be used to reduce exposure to
workers who are tuckpointing and others near the work „„ Keep the exhaust entry point flat against the surface
area. In addition, equipment maintenance and worker (Figure 2).
training should be part of a comprehensive silica control „„ Shake the hose as needed to loosen the settled dust
program. and prevent the hose from clogging.
„„ Make sure no dust is escaping from the shroud.
Vacuum Cleaners —— If dust is escaping, turn off the unit and clean or
change the filter as recommended by the man-
The choice of a vacuum cleaner depends on the task. ufacturer.
The vacuum cleaner should draw at least 10 amps if it
is to be used as part of a ventilated grinder system. Al- —— Try to dislodge the build-up on the filter by mov-
ing or shaking the vacum cleaner, or turning the
though a minimum air-flow rate of about 65 cubic feet
motor off and on a few times. Build-up on the
per minute (cfm) provides adequate air flow, the objec-
filters slows down the air flow through the sys-
tive is to provide an air flow of 80 cfm to achieve ef-
tem and reduces dust capture.
fective dust control. A vacuum cleaner with a cyclon-
ic preseparator (cyclone) should be used to keep debris —— Use a cyclonic pre-separator to keep the filter
off the final filters. This will enable the vacuum clean- clean.
er to maintain an adequate airflow, which will facili-
„„ Work against the rotation of the blade. The tool must
tate dust capture and transport [Heitbrink and Bennett
be flat and positioned so that the dust from grinding is
2006]. Thus, it is very important to monitor the air-
blown into the exhaust hose (Figure 3).
flow rate. A vacuum cleaner equipped with a pressure
gauge allows the worker to determine whether the air- „„ Change vacuum cleaner bags before they leak, break,
flow rate is too low to be effective. If the vacuum clean- or cause too much resistance to air flow. Use appropri-
er does not have a pressure gauge, workers can monitor ate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as a res-
the air flow by checking to see if a dust plume is escap- pirator when changing vacuum cleaner bags or filters.
ing from around the shroud. The final filter should be „„ Put the vacuum cleaner below the work level to keep
a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to reduce dust from falling out of the hose.
the chance of releasing dust containing crystalline silica
from the vacuum into the worksite.

Hose
A 2-inch diameter hose with a smooth interior and a
length of no more than 15 feet provides adequate air
flow to capture and transport the mortar dust. The air
flow provided by smaller diameter hoses (e.g., 1.5 inch)
was far less than that provided by 2-inch diameter hos-
es. The hose should have as few elbows or turns as pos-
sible.

Shroud and Grinder

The exhaust shroud can be purchased separately or as
a unit with the vacuum cleaner and hose. The shroud
should totally enclose the spaces around the exhaust en- Figure 2. Keep the tool flat and positioned so that the
try point for the hose. The shroud should have an entry dust from grinding is blown into the exhaust hose.
 Figure 3. Diagram of mortar removal.

Respirators from the University of Utah. John Whalen, under a con-

tract with the U.S. Public Health Service, Division of
When tuckpointing in poorly ventilated areas such as Federal Occupational Health, served as lead writer/
in corners or inside buildings, workers and employers editor.
should be aware that there is an increased risk of ex-
posure to high concentrations of hazardous dust. Also,
there is the potential for increased exposure to hazard- References
ous dust when tuckpointing on surfaces that are in poor
condition. Collingwood S, Heitbrink WA [2007]. Field evaluation
of an engineering control for respirable crystalline sili-
The dust control cited in this report may greatly reduce ca exposures during mortar removal. J Occup Environ
worker exposure to hazardous dust; however, respirators Hyg 4:875–887.
are still necessary to reduce exposure to crystalline silica Heitbrink WA, Bennett J [2006]. A numerical and experi-
below the NIOSH REL of 50µg/m3. It may be possible mental investigation of crystalline silica exposure control
to use less restrictive respirators since the amount of haz- during tuck pointing. J Occup Environ Hyg 3:366–378.
ardous dust has been decreased by the control. Exposure Heitbrink WA, Collingwood S [2005]. Protecting tuck-
monitoring is necessary to determine what type of respi-
pointing workers from silica dust: draft recommenda-
rator is needed. Employers should follow the Occupation-
tions for a ventilated grinder. Silver Spring, MD: The
al Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Respirato-
Center to Protect Workers’ Rights. Available at: www.
ry Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134) (www.osha.
cdc.gov/elcosh/docs/d0600/d000683/d000683.html].
gov/SLTC/etools/respiratory/index.html). NIOSH [2002]. NIOSH hazard review: health effects
of occupational exposure to respirable crystalline sil-
Equipment Manufacturers ica. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and
Equipment manufacturers should consider the recom- Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for
mendations in this report when developing new grind- Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for
ers or controls. Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH)
Publication No. 2002–129.
Shields C [1999]. Massive respirable silica exposures in
Acknowledgments tuck pointing (power grinding). Presented at the 1999
The principal contributors to this publication were William American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposi-
Heitbrink of the University of Iowa and Scott Collingwood tion, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Roundtable 246.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
4676 Columbia Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45226–1998

Official Business
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For More Information

NIOSH has previously published recommendations to help For a monthly update on news at NIOSH, subscribe to
protect workers from exposure to crystalline silica dust dur- NIOSH eNews by visiting www.cdc.gov/niosh/eNews.
ing construction activities.
NIOSH [1996]. NIOSH Alert: request for assistance in pre- This document is in the public domain and may be
venting silicosis and deaths in construction workers. Cincin- freely copied or reprinted. NIOSH encourages all
nati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, readers of the Workplace Solutions to make them
Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Pre- available to all interested employers and workers.
vention, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96–112.
As part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Additional information about silica hazards and controls is NIOSH is the Federal agency responsible for conducting re-
available on the NIOSH Web site at www.cdc.gov/niosh/ search and making recommendations to prevent work-related
topics/silica/default.html. illness and injuries. All Workplace Solutions are based on re-
To obtain information about other occupational safety and search studies that show how worker exposures to hazardous
health topics, contact NIOSH at agents or activities can be significantly reduced.

Telephone: 1–800–CDC–INFO (1–800–232–4636) Control of Hazardous Dust During Tuckpointing

TTY: 1–888–232–6348 ■ E-mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2008—126
or visit the NIOSH Web site at www.cdc.gov/niosh (Supersedes 2000–113)

Safer • Healthier • PeopleTM September 2008