Dust Prevention in Construction | Dust Suppression Methods

Dust generated on construction sites can have serious health effects on construction workers and those exposed to it. It can also affect the performance of tools and equipment, making it harder to complete tasks efficiently. This is why dust suppression should always be a priority.

However, dust is hard to avoid when you’re working every day. Choosing the right method of mitigating it can also be challenging when so many choices are available. Let’s explore the most efficient methods to ensure projects are completed on time and in a safe manner.

What is construction dust?

Construction dust is a generic term for airborne particles on a building site. It’s created by construction and building work, with different tasks creating different types of dust in various quantities. For example, using tools like grinders and grit blasters produces higher levels of dust than other tools. Enclosed working environments also tend to have a lot of dust build-up.

The weather also has an effect. In summer, especially during the hotter and drier periods, the ground being churned up by vehicle traffic can lead to higher dust levels in the air. Winds can also cause dust to spread around the site and the local environment.

Is construction dust harmful?

Dust from construction is harmful to your health – it’s even classed as a hazardous substance. Breathing in site dust can cause a range of different illnesses and conditions, such as:

Coughing, sneezing and eye irritation
Headaches
Asthma
Lung cancer
Silicosis
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

According to the HSE, construction workers are an at-risk group due to their dust exposure levels. We mentioned earlier that much of this dust comes from everyday activities, which means that it can be hard to suppress it without interrupting progress. But methods should still be in place to reduce it where possible.

Why is suppression needed?

Dust suppression is vital on site. As a business, you want to prioritise the safety of your team, the environment, and the communities you work in. As per the COSHH regulations, you must use effective dust suppression methods to maintain air quality and prevent issues in the local environment.

Failure to suppress construction dust can result in the following negative consequences:

An increase in onsite health hazards can affect the well-being of workers, the groundwater, wildlife, local businesses, and the community. Poor health can also reduce the efficiency of your project, especially if there isn’t a strong safety culture onsite.
Fines – if you’re not taking action and protecting employees, HSE will take enforcement with cost implications.
Reputational damage—the HSE will place an enforcement notice in the Public Register if you fail to comply with health and safety regulations, showing that you breached guidelines.

In 2023, the HSE launched a Dust Kills campaign to raise awareness of the issues dust can cause and resources on the different jobs that create high levels of dust. As part of this campaign, research showed that over 500 fatalities in construction workers are believed to have been caused by silica dust exposure every year. After carrying out over 1,000 woodworking inspections in 2022/23, they also found that 78% of businesses were not protecting workers from respiratory sensitisers – with dust being the primary substance.

Dust doesn’t just impact the health of your workers; it can also affect the performance of your equipment. If particles get inside equipment, it could lead to project delays and extra costs. Dust can also contaminate fuel and diesel exhaust fluids, affecting the quality of these fluids and potentially damaging equipment.

Dust control for construction sites

As we’ve seen, dust generated during construction is hazardous and can cause serious health issues. This is why dust suppression is a priority for construction firms. Dust in construction is unavoidable, so suppression focuses on minimising its movement is key.

At Western Global, we’re here to help you achieve this with our dust-suppression water bowsers. These trailorised water tanks are a reliable way of controlling dust, weighing down the particles to prevent them from becoming airborne.

The HSE has also provided recommendations for controlling dust. We’ll explore these in more detail below.

Construction dust HSE advice

Control dust from construction sites using HSE’s three-step framework:

Assess—consider the tools you’re using, the working environment, and the amount of time the work will take. Knowing how much risk is involved in the project will help you develop safety procedures.
Control – this is where dust suppression solutions come in. From choosing the right material size to swapping out tools, you can start reducing risk before getting to work. We’ll go into more detail about various methods below.
Review – this stage is about reviewing current processes to ensure they’re effective.

The advice is to minimise the amount of dust created and limit its movement where possible. This can look like:

Using the correct size of material to limit cutting.
Using less-powerful tools where possible.
Using methods that don’t involve drilling or cutting, like using a nail gun instead of a screw, where it’s safe to do so.

Note that you can use PPE, but it should not be the only form of protection in place—it should be a last resort.

These guidelines also recognise that dust is often unavoidable, so the HSE recommends limiting the amount of dust that’s airborne.

How to get rid of construction dust in the air

There are a number of dust suppression systems and techniques available to help minimise the movement of dust. Some will be more effective than others and will depend on the equipment you have onsite.

Vacuums are a standard solution as they remove dust while it’s produced. However, water bowsers are a far more efficient – and cost-effective tool on high-traffic sites where dust is produced at high volumes.

Water suppression system

Water bowsers are a reliable method for keeping your site – and its equipment – in top condition at all times. They come with various accessories for different applications, ensuring that no corner is left to gather dust throughout your project.

Managing dust using water suppression works by saturating dust particles, stopping them from rising into the air and potentially entering your lungs. The HSE recommends this method for tasks like wet core drilling, cutting tiles and concrete with a cut-off saw, or even removing rubble and debris.

They’re suitable for sites of all sizes. Larger jobs with high traffic can easily tow their bowsers around on the rugged galvanised chassis, providing complete freedom on your site and the road.

Western’s water bowsers are made from heavy-duty, 6mm-thick plastic to withstand any bumps on the road and are built to last. If you don’t have access to water via mains, our bowsers are ideal for keeping water fresh and clean onsite.

Water bowser accessories

We understand that every job site is unique, and some can be more challenging than others. That’s why we offer a variety of accessories that can be added to your water bowser, creating a complete system to help you efficiently clear your site.

Our Whale Tail pump enhances the effectiveness of your bowser by spraying water in a fan-like pattern, ensuring thorough and even water distribution without leaving any dry spots. This saves you time from having to go back and spray any missed areas.
The Pressure Washer and Whale Tail combination takes things to the next level by addressing hard-to-reach areas with a powerful spray that effectively removes mud, dirt, grime, and dust particles.

Western Global’s water bowser

Our range of go-anywhere water bowsers gives you the power to suppress dust on all corners of your worksite. We have a variety of sizes available, all of which are mounted onto a durable chassis to ensure that you’re prepared for anything and everything. Explore our range of water bowsers here.

You can also read our maintenance do’s and don’ts guide for your poly browser here.

Dust Suppression in Construction: Control Dust Onsite