Milwaukee fights dust with new tools
Milwaukee Tool announced the largest expansion of its Dust Extraction System to-date.
The system, according to the company, complies with the new Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation on respirable crystalline silica dust.
According to OSHA, more than two million construction workers a year are exposed to crystalline silica dust. Found in materials like concrete, tile, rock, stone and brick, exposure to silica dust can be a major cause of a fatal lung cancer known as silicosis. The new OSHA regulation on respirable crystalline silica dust (29 CFR 1926.1153) will be enforced for construction trades starting on September 23, 2017. This regulation reduces the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) to 50 µg/m3 over an 8-hour period and will affect jobsites nationwide.
The heart of Milwaukee’s new system, an 8-Gallon Dust Extractor, features an automatic filter cleaning mechanism to allow for sustained airflow at 148 CFM in dust-producing applications. The Extractor’s dual filtration system (complete with HEPA filter) captures 99.97% of all particles greater than 0.3 microns. For SDS Max hammers, there is a new dust extraction attachment for drilling holes up to 2-3/4” in diameter and a chisel boot for chipping applications. Also available will be new cutting dust shrouds that work with the Extractor to maximize dust collection during concrete cutting with grinders.
Milwaukee lays claim to the distinction of introducing the world’s first universal self-powered dust extractor in 2013, The M12 Hammervac Universal Dust Extractor.
