Product Overview
Crystalline silica is naturally found in soil, sand, granite, and many other minerals used within the concrete industry. Millions of U.S. workers in high risk jobs such as abrasive blasting, foundry work, stonecutting, rock drilling, quarry work and tunneling are exposed to dangerous levels of silica which can lead to serious health hazards in the form of cancer and respiratory issues, and OSHA’s changes to current regulations will decrease these risks.
Ruwac’s Compliance:
With over 30 years of experience, Ruwac knows how important worker safety and cleaning up the job site are, especially for those working with fine, irritating concrete dust and powders, as well as hazardous silica dust. All Ruwac vacuum cleaners recommended for concrete and silica dust removal have been in compliance with OSHA’s silica dust standards from the very start. These industrial vacuums are ideal for concrete grinders, scarifiers, crack saws, and blast machines, just to name a few. Ruwac takes pride in its ability to provide the concrete industry with dustless vacuums systems that can be depended on to last while keeping workers safe, and can be custom tailored to suit your individual needs.
- Dust collectors feature CFMs recommended by the manufacturer for the specific equipment being operated
- Recommended vacuums meet 25 CFM / inch of blade per OSHA’s requirement for handheld grinders
- Industry-leading MicroClean filter is compliant to OSHA’s silica dust standards at 99% efficient at 0.5 microns, preventing filter clogs and cutting down on costly filter replacements
- Equipped with a manual filter cleaning mechanism that easily keep the filters clean in between processes
- Foot-actuated dustpans or direct bagging collection systems allow for easy, dust-free emptying while reducing user exposure to contaminants
- Optional HEPA Maxx is MERV 18 at 99.997% at 0.3 microns and compliant to OSHA’s silica dust standards
- Optional HEPA 2.0 is MERV 17 at 99.97% @ 0.3 microns and compliant to OSHA’s silica dust standards
Intermittent Duty | Single Phase
| Portable | Ideal Application | Direct Bagger |
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Continuous Duty | Three Phase
| Product | Ideal Application |
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Alternative Power | Continuous Duty
| Product | Ideal Application |
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Continuous Duty | Wet / Slurry
| Product | Ideal Application |
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Features and Benefits
What Does OSHA’s Updated Rule Require?
- Workers’ exposures are limited to a new PEL of 50 micrograms of respirable crystalline silica per cubic meter of air (μg/m3) averaged over an 8-hour day. Action must be taken for any situation where the PEL is above 25 μg/m3.
- Provisions for measuring how much silica dust workers are exposed to, limiting workers’ access to areas where silica exposures are high, using effective methods for reducing exposures, providing medical exams to workers with high silica exposures, and training for workers about silica hazards and limiting exposure
Rule went into law on June 23, 2016. Must be in compliance by September 23, 2017.
Are You In Compliance With OSHA’s Silica Standards?
(via OSHA’s Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for Construction)
1. Determine if the silica standard applies to your employees.
Could employees be exposed to respirable crystalline silica at or above 25 μg/m3 as an 8-hour TWA under any foreseeable conditions, including the failure of engineering controls, while performing construction activities?
No: No further action is required under the silica standard.
Yes: Choose to comply with the standard using either the:
- Specified exposure control methods in Table 1, or
- Alternative methods of compliance
2. Determine what additional requirements you must meet under the standard, based on the compliance
method you are following.
| Must the Employer Follow the Requirement? | ||
|---|---|---|
| Requirement | If Fully and Properly Implement Table 1 | If Following Alternative Exposure Controls |
| PEL | No | Yes |
| Exposure Assessment | No |
Yes, when exposures are reasonably expected to be above the action level.
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| Methods of Compliance | No | Yes |
| Respiratory Protection | Yes, if respirator use is required by Table 1 | Yes, if respirator use is required to reduce exposures to the PEL |
| Housekeeping | Yes | Yes |
| Written Exposure Control Plan | Yes | Yes |
| Medical Surveillance |
Yes, for employees who must wear a respirator under the silica standard for 30 or more days a year.
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Yes, for employees who must wear a respirator under the silica standard for 30 or more days a year.
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| Communication of Hazards | Yes | Yes |
| Record Keeping |
Yes, for any employees who are getting medical examinations
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Yes, for exposure assessments and for any employees who are getting medical examinations |
Table 1
This table lists several tasks and gives specific direction to reduce silica exposure, including engineering controls, practices and required safety equipment.
Specifications
| Know the Facts: |
|---|
| • Follow Table 1 or Alternative Assessment Plan |
| • Dust collectors must have a filter that is 99% efficient and a filter cleaning mechanism |
| • Dry sweeping and the use of compressed air is not allowed for housekeeping or to clean of cloths |
| • Housekeeping vacuums must include HEPA filtration |
| • All equipment requires a written Exposure Control Plan |
| • A competent person must be available on every jobsite to oversee compliance. |
| • Medical testing required for all employees that are exposed to silica for 30 or more days in any given year |
| For Over 30 Years Contractors Have Entrusted Ruwac for Their Compliance Needs: |
| • All Ruwac vacuums include our MicroClean filters for dust-free collection that are 99% efficient at 0.5 microns |
| • All Ruwac MicroClean filters carry our exclusive 3-year filter guarantee |
| • All Ruwac vacuums include a mechanical filter cleaning device that allows operators to clean filter from outside of vacuum, without being exposed to the dust |
| • All Ruwac vacuums are HEPA ready and can be upgraded to HEPA at any time |
| • All Ruwac vacuums include dust free emptying via a dust pan or bagger system |
| • When used as a dust collector standard MicroClean filter exceeds OSHA compliance |
| • When used for Housekeeping and equipped with HEPA 2.0 or HEPA Maxx, filtration meets OSHA compliance |
| • Written Exposure Control plans are available for all equipment. Contact us for details! |
| Know the facts! While there are some companies trying to fear customers into buying specific features there is no truth to any claims that OSHA requires a specific feature of the vacuums. Companies trying to twist the new standard to sell equipment are not doing you any favors. Know the facts and ask questions. If it seems like a sales pitch then it more than likely it is. |
