Cutting Concrete and Block

• Use water suppression on all disc cutters and concrete saws during use.
• Fit on-tool extraction connected to an H-class vacuum for indoor cutting.
• Carry out a COSHH assessment before any concrete or block cutting work.
• Wear RPE with a minimum APF of 20 as an additional control measure.
• Ensure RPE has been face-fit tested for the individual wearer.
• Cut outdoors and downwind of other workers wherever possible.
• Clean up dust with an H-class vacuum — never dry sweep silica dust.
• Attend health surveillance including lung function tests as scheduled.
• Inspect water suppression systems and extraction filters before each use.
• Rotate tasks to limit individual exposure time to cutting operations.

• DON'T dry cut concrete, block, or masonry under any circumstances.
• DON'T sweep up silica dust with a broom — it re-suspends the particles.
• DON'T use RPE as your only control — engineering controls must come first.
• DON'T use a domestic vacuum — only H-class units filter silica dust safely.
• DON'T cut indoors without both extraction and ventilation in place.
• DON'T ignore a persistent cough or breathing difficulty — report it promptly.
• DON'T skip face-fit testing — poorly fitting RPE provides little protection.
• DON'T allow other workers to stand in the dust plume during cutting.
• DON'T remove the water supply on suppression-equipped tools.
• DON'T eat, drink, or smoke in dusty areas without washing hands first.

See also: Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) | On-Tool Extraction Systems