title = "Metal Dust and Fume Control Measures"

content = """
Metal dusts and fumes generated during grinding, welding, casting, and machining operations pose
significant respiratory and fire hazards. Ridgecrest Metalworks employs a hierarchy of engineering
controls to minimize worker exposure well below applicable OSHA permissible exposure limits (PELs)
and ACGIH threshold limit values (TLVs).

Key Hazardous Dusts and Fumes:

Welding and Cutting Fumes: Generated during all fusion welding and thermal cutting operations. Mild
steel welding produces iron oxide fumes; stainless steel welding generates hexavalent chromium and
nickel compounds, both of which are known human carcinogens. Welding fumes in confined or poorly
ventilated areas can also displace oxygen and create asphyxiation hazards.

Aluminum Dust: Fine aluminum dust and powder are pyrophoric and can form explosive dust-air mixtures.
Aluminum grinding and machining produce fine particles that must be captured by wet dust collectors
or explosion-vented dry collectors specifically designed for combustible metal dusts. NEVER use standard
(non-ATEX rated) vacuum equipment to collect aluminum fines.

Silica Dust: Present in sand casting operations from quartz sand molds. Crystalline silica inhalation
causes silicosis, a serious and irreversible lung disease. The OSHA action level for respirable
crystalline silica is 25 µg/m³. All sand shake-out and reclaim operations must be enclosed with local
exhaust ventilation, and respiratory protection is required if engineering controls alone do not
achieve compliance.

Engineering Controls in Use:
- Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV): Welding booths, grinding stations, and machining coolant mist
  collectors use capture-at-source LEV. Systems are inspected quarterly and airflow tested annually.
- Baghouse Filtration: The grinding and blasting areas are connected to central baghouse systems
  with appropriate filter media for the particle type and combustibility class.
- Wet Methods: Water suppression during certain grinding and casting operations reduces airborne dust.

Housekeeping:
Dry sweeping or compressed-air blowdown of metal dusts is prohibited on the production floor. Wet
mopping, industrial HEPA vacuum systems, and floor scrubbers are the approved methods for removing
accumulated metal dust and swarf. Housekeeping frequency is specified in each bay's cleaning schedule
posted at the bay entrance.
"""

version = "0.0.1"
