For those within the construction and remodeling business, it is not a secret that laws and regulations regarding safety have come a long way. There are a plethora of hazards, both small and large, that are associated the job. While it may seem silly at first, it is good to be reminded why protective gear is crucial in this particular line of work.
Remodeling comes in all shapes and sizes. Major additions, like another room or existing rooms getting a makeover, are contributed to 30 percent of remodeling activity. Minor additions, like a new floor or maybe a wall or two removed or added, contribute 40 percent of remodeling activity. Lastly, maintenance and repair, like sanding a floor or cleaning the duct works, contribute to 30 percent of remodeling activity. What does this all mean? It means that 100 percent of the time a worker in the remodeling business is exposed to the various forms of air pollutants. In fact, occupational lung diseases rank at the very top in the United States for all of job-related illnesses.
All over the United States, 2.3 million people in the workforce are exposed to silica. It is a serious health concern when considering the act of inhaling crystalline silica can cause: kidney disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, alternatively known by its acronym COPD, and even Silicosis, an incurable disease that can kill you and if it does not, it will leave you disabled. It becomes harder to avoid when crystalline silica is 100 times smaller than sand. So when you are cutting, grinding, drilling, sawing, crushing, painting a door or a door frame, or handling stones, or a plethora of other hazardous materials, know that the floor you are doing this to is not worth doing without covering your upper extremities with regulation gear.
There is never a bad time to have the inner machinations of your home’s inner workings maintained or cleaned for peak performance, in fact, 30 percent of remodeling activity is attributed to maintenance and repair jobs. That old carpet you have had for a few years, even if it was kept clean and still looks good, is collecting dander, dust, maybe even chemicals. For every single square yard of that old carpet, it could be holding up to a single pound of dirt. Collected materials like that pollutes and contaminates the air you breathe. They float around your home and get sucked into your HVAC systems, alternatively known as Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning. And when they do, it can recycle through your air five to seven times every single day. With frequent re-circulation, it starts to cause a buildup in your HVAC system, like your duct works, and will eventually cause havoc on your own bodily systems as well.