Aaron J. Crowley

Owner, Crowley’s Granite Concepts

The days of escaping OSHA’s attention may be over for the stone industry.

If you haven’t heard, OSHA has updated its rules on silica exposure for the first time since 1970, and right there on their website it says, “Workers are being exposed to silica in new industries such as stone or artificial stone countertop fabrication.” 

Instead of analyzing the merits of OSHA’s new standards, enforcement tactics and fines, or the cost of compliance, let us agree that as leaders we have a moral obligation to provide safe and healthy work environments for our staff. 

Let also agree that the risk of airborne silica in our fab shops is real and worthy of our attention.

That being said, the limited space remaining requires the author to focus like a Loc-Line nozzle sprayer on a single topic of the silica discussion!

Instead of sucking, blowing, and containing silica, create a dust-free environment using water-fed tools to do ALL cutting, shaping, and grinding. 

Don’t Mitigate – Eliminate!  

The Marble Institute of America states that Wet-Cutting and Grinding is a “Best Practice” and one of the best methods for reducing silica exposure.

After 15 years of running a ZERO tolerance – Zero Dust fab shop, I can tell you that this is not only true, but easier to implement than you might think.

Here are 3 thoughts to consider if you’re envisioning a dust-free Silica Safety Plan:

It IS possible to eliminate dust in your fab shop:  No one had ever run a four-minute mile…until someone ran a four-minute mile.  Once that mental barrier was overcome by Roger Bannister in 1954, it became routine in the years that followed. Today, even high school runners run four-minute miles. The fact is, the zero-dust barrier has already been broken, it only requires some modified equipment, updated procedures, and more than a little perseverance.

Prepare for Pushback

Fabricators who have never roughed out a sink with a water-fed Skilsaw, cut an inside corner with a water-fed 5 inch cutter, or shaped an edge with a water-fed cup wheel will swear to you that its not possible.  (This was said about wet polishing with resin pads 20+ years ago, when dry sandpaper and aluminum oxide had been the standard up to that point.)  They need two things from you in response…an unwavering insistence that there is no going back to dry cutting, shaping, and grinding, and the tools necessary to make it reality.  

Obtain the Right Water-Fed Tools

For $40 in Loc-Line water nozzles, zip ties, and a GFCI plug in, a standard worm drive saw can be effectively and efficiently set up to cut sinks, corners, and cooktops dust-free. Be prepared to replace brushes and the saw more frequently. 

Your standard, essential fabrication handtools can’t be as easily modified for water. But as your tools wear out you can replace with true, water-fed electric grinders, cutters, and polishers. Braxton-Bragg regularly runs sales on very reliable and effective wet-use tools, like the Makita 9565CV Wet Grinder. If your shop is air-equipped, you may need to upgrade to an air compressor with 50-100cfm to power the heavy-duty water-fed air grinders, cutters, and polishers you will need to fabricate dust-free.

While these new OSHA standards may be appear to be just another complication and expense, please take it seriously…OSHA sure is.  

To make the point, let this story sink in as you contemplate your Silica Safety Plan: A large regional fabricator was just fined over $250,000 for failing to deal effectively with the silica dust they created via dry cutting and grinding. 

Like I said, OSHA is serious about limiting Silica exposure. Are you?

Aaron Crowley is an inventor of stone industry products like the Bullet Proof™ Apron, and owner of Crowley’s Granite Concepts.