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Working in construction comes with a few health risks, one of the biggest being effects of dust exposure. Angle grinders are one of the most common tools for construction workers to use and they can create lots of dust. Is angle grinder dust bad for you?

Exposure to angle grinder dust is bad, especially across a long time period. This is because the dust harms the lungs and exposes an individual to many respiratory illnesses such as silicosis. This can potentially lead to lung cancer, which is why safety precautions are vital when working with dust.

Let’s talk more about the health risks of angle grinder dust.

Health risks of angle grinder dust

What are the health risks of inhaling angle grinder dust?When using an angle grinder to polish, grind and cut materials, you can expose yourself to health risks from the grinder dust. Inhalation of dust from angle grinding can cause internal organ damage and greatly affects your lungs. It can take a long time for this effect to become apparent and you might not realise it is happening. But the impact angle grinder dust has on your body is significant.

You can develop many lung conditions like pneumoconiosis, also referred to as ‘dusty lung’. This means the angle grinder dust is infiltrating your lungs and attacking them, causing scar tissue to form from fighting off the dust. This scar tissue can lead to other lung conditions.

The dust particles from angle grinding can also dissolve in your bloodstream and affect other organs like your brain and kidneys. Lots of the diseases that are developed from inhaling angle grinder dust are incurable. There are treatment options available that involve medication, lifestyle changes and oxygen therapy. But this will be an ongoing treatment.

Because of the health risks involved with angle grinder dust, it’s important to take precautions to protect yourself. Otherwise, you are at great risk of developing lung conditions from inhaling angle grinder dust.

Possible lung conditions cause by angle grinder dust inhalation

There are multiple lung conditions that you can develop from inhaling angle grinder dust. They mostly fall under the umbrella of pneumoconiosis which references interstitial lung conditions cause by inhaling mineral dust. Included in these conditions are:

Silicosis developed from angle grinder dust

Silicosis is caused by inhaling silica dust and results in the lungs scarring and stiffening. Silica dust is found in tiles, bricks and concrete, and using an angle grinder to cut these releases the dust into the air. Sometimes you won’t even realise that silica dust is being inhaled because it is 100 times smaller than a grain of sand, but it can cause serious damage to your lungs. Silicosis causes difficulty breathing, shortness of breath and persistent coughing. Also, fatigue, fevers, leg swelling and lip decolouration.

Because this disease affects the immune system, you are put at risk of developing more health issues like lunger cancer, kidney disease and tuberculosis. It’s also important to note that other cutting tools like multi-purpose diamond saw blades will release this dust when cutting the same materials. While they do a great job at providing a good cut, there will need to be safety precautions for airborne dust inhalation.

Siderosis caused by dust from cutting metal with angle grinders

Siderosis is caused by inhaling iron particles through fumes or dust which can happen when using an angle grinder to cut metals. It results in chronic inflammation of the lungs. Often, siderosis doesn’t present symptoms, so you can go a long while without knowing your system is being affected by this disease. Doctors find siderosis on CT scans. They appear as nodules on your lungs. Siderosis inflames the lungs but doesn’t impact them as much as other lung diseases. The trouble with siderosis is that it still weakens the immune system and can make it easier for other diseases to occur.

Chronic lung problems resulted from angle grinder dust inhalation

Besides silicosis and siderosis, you are at risk of developing a chronic lung condition. That can range anywhere from bronchitis to other illnesses that will hinder your daily functioning. Your lungs are weakened from silicosis and siderosis which affects your immune system greatly. There will be a lot of scar tissue that is developed, building up in the lung lining. This can make it very difficult for your lungs to get oxygen to the rest of your body, straining the right side of your heart. You could get high blood pressure in your lungs, and, in worst cases, this can lead to heart failure.

This is why it is vital for you to be taking the right precautions to keep yourself safe when working with angle grinder dust.

Precautions to take for angle grinder dust inhalation

While working with angle grinder dust, it is necessary to take the right precautions. These measures will protect you from the dust and ensure you don’t experience long-term harm. The precautions include:

When you’re using cutting and grinding tools like angle grinders for bricks, concrete and metals, sometimes angle grinder dust is inevitable. But considering the health risks, you should be doing everything you can to protect yourself. Let’s break down the top precautions to take to avoid inhaling angle grinder dust because it’s bad for you!

Wear protective clothing when using angle grinders

The most important thing you have to do is wear protective clothing while working with angle grinders. You should be wearing the following list of clothing pieces:

  • Respiratory mask
  • Coveralls
  • Gloves
  • Safety goggles
  • Boots

It is good to cover up your skin so that the dust doesn’t enter your body through your pores to be extra safe. Long sleeves are a good idea. A respiratory mask is the biggest key to avoiding angle grinder dust inhalation. You can get both disposable and reusable respiratory masks. But reusable ones need to be cleaned out regularly. They filter the air you breathe and are best for preventing angle grinder dust from entering your airways.

Also, each time you finish your work, you need to wash or dispose of the used clothes. This prevents the dust particles from spreading and causing threats to anyone else.

Invest in wet collection equipment to capture angle grinder dust

There are lots of new construction equipment that is designed to help reduce dust inhalation and promote safety for workers. This kind of collection equipment can use fans to direct the dust towards a water source. The water traps the dust in its particles and creates a sludge that can be easily disposed of. Using this equipment greatly reduces the risks of inhaling angle grinder dust, directing the particles away from workers. It is good to use water to contain the dust so that it doesn’t stay airborne and spread further than the construction site.

Take regular breaks when cutting or grinding with angle grinders

Long-term exposure is one of the biggest causes of lung conditions from angle grinder dust. That is why you need to be mindful of the time you spend using this equipment. The longer you are using an angle grinder, the more dust particles you are exposed to and could potentially enter your lungs.

Even though the equipment for dust control is getting better, you are never guaranteed to not inhale any angle grinder dust. This is why you need to be taking regular breaks. These breaks should be away from the area you were working in to avoid inhaling already airborne dust when eating or drinking.

Create a hazard communication plan for your crew

Communication is extremely important on construction sites to avoid major health risks, which is why hazard communication plans are developed. You should make sure that the crew understands the risks associated with angle grinder dust, and the preventative measure to take. You will also need to discuss what to do if dust inhalation occurs, the treatments that are available and the support from the workplace that will be offered.

Doing this will help the crew to understand these issues and work together to take precautions. You can also hang safety signage and markets to indicate places where the most dust is present on the site. You must only let the crew that is trained in dust safety to enter such areas.

Creating this plan will make your workers feel safe and limit their exposure to angle grinder dust.

You know that bricks create dust on the worksite, but do you know if they are good building insulation? Or how about if you can add a door to a brick wall? As well as valuable masonry tools, Paragon Tools Ireland has plenty more useful construction information in our resources!

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