Bird's-Eye View: The Science Behind Construction And Contracting

Grinding concrete can throw up a lot of dust. That can get messy and annoying, and you should make a plan to minimise the dust before you start working. Take a look at these tips.

Wear a Respirator

The dust that comes off concrete while you are grinding it is so small that it may be inhaled, and those small particles will scratch and irritate the sensitive lining on the inside of your lungs. To prevent yourself from breathing in the particles, you should wear a respirator while working.

Keep Other People at a Distance

People who aren't wearing respirators should stay a safe distance from the workspace. If you're grinding concrete outside, tape off the area and put up warning signs so that people don't get too close. Ideally, your safety area should include all of the areas where you can see visible dust from the concrete grinding as well as some surrounding area. If working inside on a concrete floor or wall, no one should come into that area unless they have a respirator.

Stop Dust Migration and Use Extraction When Working Inside

Additionally, when working inside, make sure that you take steps to prevent the dust from migrating to other areas of the house. Hang out sheets or tarps over entryways so that the dust doesn't leave the room. You can also create an extraction fan just by putting a normal fan backwards in a window. In other words, the fan should be blowing outside. That way, it takes the dust and carries it away.

Wear Gloves, Long Sleeves and Trousers

Concrete can actually burn your skin, and even if you are only touching the concrete with the grinder, the dust can fly up and cause burns. To protect yourself, you should wear gloves, long-sleeve shirts and trousers.

Wet Down the Dust

Although you need to protect yourself from the dust, you should also try to minimise the dust. To do that, you should wet down the dust as you work. Some grinders come with built-in tools to make that possible. Essentially, you connect a hose to the grinder, and water constantly runs over your work area so that the dust becomes a wet slurry. If your equipment doesn't work like that, you can manually wet it down on your own.

To really stay safe from the dust, hire a professional to help you. Then, you can go and relax while they take care of the concrete grinding for you.