OSHA silica rules boost dust vac sales as contractors ‘tool up’ to comply

Tool manufacturers have seen a big boost in sales on products designed to meet recent federal regulations to reduce workers’ exposure to crystalline silica dust.

And solutions that involve a vacuum attached to the tool to extract dust appear to be leading the charge.

“Demand in the market has skyrocketed,” Eric Hollister, Hilti senior director of electric tools and accessories, says of vacuum solutions for a variety of handheld tools.

OSHA’s silica regulations took effect September 23, leading contractors to buy vacuums and related attachments for drills, saws, grinders and other devices to prevent silica dust from entering the air and workers’ lungs. Silica is found in concrete, brick and stone and has been linked to the lung disease silicosis, lung cancer and other respiratory illnesses when airborne.

“It’s asbestos version 2,” says Kevin Gee, Milwaukee Tool senior product manager. “A couple of decades ago, we had asbestos identified that, if you got exposed to it and it was airborne, you got things like mesothelioma.

“Now it’s silica – you get silicosis.”

Leading up to the rules, which OSHA says will prevent 900 silicosis cases a year, tool manufacturers began introducing a variety of products. But it wasn’t until just before and after the rules took effect that sales began to rise significantly and achieve broader market appeal.