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.

Source facts

OSHA’s construction silica page 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 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 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. OSHA — Control of Silica Dust in Construction: Handheld and Stand-Mounted Drills (FS-3630). OSHA — Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for Construction fact sheet. Reviewed October 18, 2026.