# Drilling concrete for cameras and conduit? Use OSHA’s Table 1 drill controls and a written silica exposure plan > OSHA’s respirable crystalline silica standard for construction lets employers follow Table 1 controls or measure exposure. For handheld and stand-mounted drills, OSHA’s fact sheet describes a shroud with a vacuum dust collection system and a filter of 99 percent or better efficiency, and every covered employer needs a written exposure control plan. - Canonical URL: https://update.dsesecurity.com/updates/osha-silica-table-1-drilling-concrete-masonry-installers-exposure-control-plan/ - Publisher: Detection Systems & Engineering (DSE Security) - Author: DSE Security Editorial Team - Published: 2026-10-18T21:01:25+00:00 - Modified: 2026-10-18T22:22:08+00:00 - Last reviewed by DSE: 2026-10-18 - Resource type: Guide - DSE priority: Advisory - Topics: Business Continuity, Networks & Infrastructure - Reading time: 3 minutes ## What you need to know OSHA’s respirable crystalline silica standard for construction lets employers follow Table 1 controls or measure exposure. For handheld and stand-mounted drills, OSHA’s fact sheet describes a shroud with a vacuum dust collection system and a filter of 99 percent or better efficiency, and every covered employer needs a written exposure control plan. ## Potentially affected Contractors and technicians who drill, cut or grind concrete, brick, block or stone to mount cameras, readers, panels and conduit, and the supervisors who plan that work. ## DSE recommendation DSE recommends equipping every hammer drill used on masonry with a shroud and vacuum dust collection system, and keeping a written silica exposure control plan for installation crews. ## Article OSHA’s respirable crystalline silica standard for construction lets employers follow Table 1 controls or measure exposure. For handheld and stand-mounted drills, OSHA’s fact sheet describes a shroud with a vacuum dust collection system and a filter of 99 percent or better efficiency, and every covered employer needs a written exposure control plan. ## Source facts OSHA’s [construction silica page](https://www.osha.gov/silica-crystalline/construction) says its respirable crystalline silica standard requires employers to limit worker exposures, and lets them either use the control methods in Table 1 or measure exposure and choose controls that keep exposures to the permissible exposure limit. Regardless of method, covered construction employers must have a written exposure control plan, designate a competent person, restrict housekeeping practices that expose workers, offer medical exams to workers required to wear a respirator for 30 or more days per year, train workers and keep records. OSHA’s [fact sheet for handheld and stand-mounted drills](https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/OSHA_FS-3630.pdf) says drilling holes in concrete, masonry or other silica-containing materials can generate respirable crystalline silica dust, and describes a vacuum dust collection system with a shroud around the bit, a vacuum providing the tool maker’s recommended airflow or greater, and an air filter of 99 percent or greater efficiency with a filter cleaning mechanism. Dust in drilled holes must be cleaned with a HEPA-filtered vacuum, and compressed air should not be used for cleanup without ventilation that captures the dust. The fact sheet says a properly used system can keep dust below the permissible exposure limit of 50 μg/m3 as an 8-hour average, so respiratory protection is not required with it, though extra ventilation may be needed indoors or in enclosed areas. OSHA’s [standard summary](https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/OSHA3681.pdf) says employers who correctly follow Table 1 are not required to measure exposure for those tasks. ## Applicability Use this for construction drilling, cutting and grinding on silica-containing materials. Michigan employers fall under MIOSHA, and OSHA says state plans must be at least as effective as OSHA and may differ; check the state rule before relying on federal text. ## DSE recommendation DSE recommends equipping every hammer drill used on masonry with a shroud and vacuum dust collection system, and keeping a written silica exposure control plan for installation crews. Name a competent person for each crew, add ventilation for indoor drilling, ban dry sweeping and compressed-air cleanup, and cover the plan in job hazard briefings. ## Verification Inspect drill shrouds, hoses and filters before each job, review the exposure control plan annually, and confirm each technician’s silica training record is current. ## Official references [OSHA — Silica, Crystalline: Construction](https://www.osha.gov/silica-crystalline/construction). [OSHA — Control of Silica Dust in Construction: Handheld and Stand-Mounted Drills (FS-3630)](https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/OSHA_FS-3630.pdf). [OSHA — Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for Construction fact sheet](https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/OSHA3681.pdf). Reviewed October 18, 2026. ## Primary reference - Name: OSHA — Silica, Crystalline: Construction - Authority: Occupational Safety and Health Administration - URL: https://www.osha.gov/silica-crystalline/construction - Source publication date: Not stated by the source ## Citation and use Preferred citation: “Drilling concrete for cameras and conduit? Use OSHA’s Table 1 drill controls and a written silica exposure plan,” DSE Security, https://update.dsesecurity.com/updates/osha-silica-table-1-drilling-concrete-masonry-installers-exposure-control-plan/ Publishing principles: https://update.dsesecurity.com/updates/dse-updates-editorial-methodology/ Usage and citation policy: https://update.dsesecurity.com/usage/ Copyright © 2026 Detection Systems & Engineering. All rights reserved.