Power Drill Safety Rules: Importance of Wearing a Dust Mask
I'll be the first one to admit that wearing a dust mask or respirator when working with a power drill is not one of my favorite things.
They can be a real nuisance.
They are hot, sweaty and just seem to get in the way.
I can't think of anyone who really likes to wear a dust mask.
Why Wear a Dust Mask If you take a look at the Occupational Safety & Health Administration PEL (permissible exposure limits) list, you can see some rather common substances that most people might expect.
Toxic substances that can create airborne particles that when inhaled may cause serious health problems or even death.
Asbestos, lead, arsenic and cadmium dust are among these widely recognizable toxic substances.
There are some substances that you may not have considered as toxic.
For example, cotton dust is on the PEL list of toxic substances.
As researchers discover more about these dangerous compounds and toxic substances, the reasons to wear a dust mask on the job continue to mount.
Possible Hazards in the Air OSHA has defined a list of PELs to help people understand when they should wear a dust mask and what type of mask they should wear.
Some of the substances that are considered a hazard by these new standards include cotton dust, asbestos, cadmium, lead and other possible toxic substances that are typically found in the workplace or home.
The use of a power drill or other power tools used on or around toxic metals may also create airborne particles like arsenic, beryllium, selenium, mercury and hexavalent chromium.
New Attitudes About Dust Masks As health care moves to add more emphasis on preventive approaches to the health of employees, industry leaders are finally taking another look at the importance of wearing a mask or breather unit.
The Environmental Health and Safety division at Iowa State University is now holding those employees who do not voluntarily wear a mask and undergo respirator training to stricter and more frequent medical screenings.
This is an indication of the way attitudes are changing when it comes to wearing a dust mask, especially when using power tools.
Some hard headed people will continue to ignore the research and warnings associated with using a power drill.
The sad part is that these same people may be the placing their own health at risk just for this sake of avoiding a little discomfort.
They can be a real nuisance.
They are hot, sweaty and just seem to get in the way.
I can't think of anyone who really likes to wear a dust mask.
Why Wear a Dust Mask If you take a look at the Occupational Safety & Health Administration PEL (permissible exposure limits) list, you can see some rather common substances that most people might expect.
Toxic substances that can create airborne particles that when inhaled may cause serious health problems or even death.
Asbestos, lead, arsenic and cadmium dust are among these widely recognizable toxic substances.
There are some substances that you may not have considered as toxic.
For example, cotton dust is on the PEL list of toxic substances.
As researchers discover more about these dangerous compounds and toxic substances, the reasons to wear a dust mask on the job continue to mount.
Possible Hazards in the Air OSHA has defined a list of PELs to help people understand when they should wear a dust mask and what type of mask they should wear.
Some of the substances that are considered a hazard by these new standards include cotton dust, asbestos, cadmium, lead and other possible toxic substances that are typically found in the workplace or home.
The use of a power drill or other power tools used on or around toxic metals may also create airborne particles like arsenic, beryllium, selenium, mercury and hexavalent chromium.
New Attitudes About Dust Masks As health care moves to add more emphasis on preventive approaches to the health of employees, industry leaders are finally taking another look at the importance of wearing a mask or breather unit.
The Environmental Health and Safety division at Iowa State University is now holding those employees who do not voluntarily wear a mask and undergo respirator training to stricter and more frequent medical screenings.
This is an indication of the way attitudes are changing when it comes to wearing a dust mask, especially when using power tools.
Some hard headed people will continue to ignore the research and warnings associated with using a power drill.
The sad part is that these same people may be the placing their own health at risk just for this sake of avoiding a little discomfort.