Dry lining and plastering generate nuisance dust during board cutting, mixing, and sanding. While gypsum is less hazardous than silica, airborne fine particulate still affects health, visibility, and programme. A simple three-layer approach keeps rooms clean and crews efficient.

Reduce dust at source

Prefer score-and-snap for plasterboard to avoid power-saw plumes. If using saws, fit tool-mounted extraction and slow the feed rate. When mixing compounds, add water first, then powder, and keep the mixer speed low to minimise aerosol. Use closed mixing tubs or hoods where possible and position mixing near extraction.

Control dust in the air

Place an air scrubber in the work room to capture fines from mixing and sanding. Use high-efficiency filtration—H14 is advisable for the finest particles and when other trades share the area. Create mild negative pressure to adjoining corridors by exhausting outside or to a safe zone. Check airflow under load, not just free-air ratings, and allow a short purge before handover.

Housekeeping and finish protection

Use vacuum-assisted sanders connected to an H-Class industrial vacuum. Avoid sweeping; vacuum floors and ledges regularly and damp-wipe sensitive surfaces. Bag waste immediately, and keep walk-off mats at entries to prevent tracking dust through finished areas.

Coordination and safety

Brief teams on dust routes and equipment checks. If cutting cement boards or chasing masonry nearby, treat dust as respirable crystalline silica and upgrade controls accordingly. RPE should be available and face-fit tested where residual dust remains.

Practical takeaways

• Score-and-snap boards; extract when power cutting.
• Mix wet-first, low-speed, and near local capture.
• Use an air scrubber with H14 filtration and verify airflow under load.
• Adopt vacuum sanding and vacuum-only clean-up.
• Maintain negative pressure and purge before handover.

For temporary rooms and small refurb zones, a portable unit such as MAXVAC Dustblockers can help stabilise PM levels during sanding and mixing without complex setup.