Constructions sites are ruled by dust control measures that must be applied at all instances to prevent air pollution, fire hazards, and health threats. As such, construction sites often use means such as dust control systems to effectively comply with the rules. The procedure you choose to use depends on factors such as the size of your construction site. Below are some of the alternative and cost-effective measures one can apply.
Address the source
Dust control is easier to maintain when you know where the dust is emanating from. Luckily, there are tools designed to capture dust from the source, you can connect a dust-controlled power tool to your vacuum cleaner. If you are working in a blast site, you can use a bigger tool to trap and collect the dust before it spreads to other areas of your construction site. Such a tool may be expensive but it will serve your dust control needs long-term. It is also good to schedule your activities such that there is only one dust-emitting activity at a go. This way you’ll be able to trap it from a single source rather than multiple.
Water
In a situation where using hydro-seeding is costly and your construction site is not large; you can use water as the alternative measure. Watering is low cost and effective and gives quality results. However, this measure needs to be applied at least three times a day depending on the atmospheric conditions of the area. The watering method should be done strategically and in bits to prevent erosion due to excess water use. You can use water tankers for this process to spray water over the target area.
Use mulching
In a large open space construction, it is easy for dust to be scattered throughout, and controlling it could be financially costly. Using mulching and vegetation is an easy and cost-effective measure to maintain dust control, it reduces erosions and dust pollution. However, since this method involves the use of seeds, they require watering, which can be challenging. Regardless, mulching protects the soil around the site. You can opt to use hydro-seeding which is popular among construction projects. The only issue with this method is that it attracts birds and other wildlife that may pick the seeds forcing you to redo the planting.
Negative air pressure machine
You will also need to provide clean air for your workers. One of the efficient ways to do this is to use a negative air pressure machine. It has a large fan that pulls the air through filters and expels it out to an opening. This machine, however, will be useful in a construction site with indoor activities. Such a machine pulls about 2,000cfm, but you can choose the size that best fits your construction site.
Dust control should be taken seriously on any construction site. Failure to do so could result in fire hazards and air pollution. Use of watering, mulching, and negative pressure machine methods is some of the measures you can employ to contain the dust. Above all, it’s helpful that you know the source of the dust and put up an efficient collection tool.
