Brick and masonry work routinely generates respirable crystalline silica (RCS). Uncontrolled, it drives health risk, rework, and clean-up costs. The HSE WEL for RCS is 0.1 mg/m³ (8-hr TWA), which you will not meet with sweeping and a fan. A planned approach that captures dust at source, controls what becomes airborne, and prevents re-agitation is both achievable and efficient.

Plan the task to minimise dust

• Choose wet cutting or core drilling where practical; keep water flow steady, not a mist.
• Cut or chase outdoors where possible; if indoors, reduce cut length per pass and slow the feed rate to limit plumes.
• Use tight-fitting tool shrouds matched to the blade and material; check the skirt seals.

Capture at source (LEV and on-tool)

Fit grinders, cutters, and rakers with purpose-made shrouds connected to an industrial vacuum of appropriate dust class. For silica, use H-class with a HEPA final stage, ideally H14, and antistatic hoses. Verify airflow under load, not free-air figures; if capture drops as the filter loads, use automatic filter cleaning and empty the container before suction falls. Keep hose runs short and avoid tight bends.

Good practice

• Start extraction before contacting the surface; keep it running a few seconds after lifting off.
• Tape or gasket small leakage points in improvised hoods.
• Position a helper nozzle close to hand-held drilling where shrouds are impractical.

Control what becomes airborne

In rooms or stair cores, use an air scrubber with HEPA H14 filtration to continuously remove fine particles. Create slight negative pressure to stop migration to clean areas by exhausting outside where permissible. Size units by room volume and required air changes, using under-load airflow data. As a practical check, use a particulate monitor to confirm that PM1–PM4 levels trend down during the task.

Compact units from ranges such as MAXVAC can provide continuous H-class filtration to support airborne RCS control during chasing and raking.

Housekeeping without re-seeding dust

• Do not sweep or use compressed air. Vacuum surfaces and debris with an H-class unit; finish with damp wiping.
• Bag waste at the point of work; mist bags before sealing to minimise release.
• Decontaminate tools and PPE before leaving the work zone; launder workwear separately.

PPE as the last line

Use FFP3 RPE where residual risk remains. Ensure face-fit testing, clean shaven seal area, and user checks each donning.

Practical takeaways

• Plan for wet methods or on-tool extraction with H-class and HEPA H14.
• Validate capture with under-load airflow and keep filters clean.
• Run an H14 air scrubber to maintain negative pressure in enclosed spaces.
• Vacuum, don’t sweep; bag and damp down waste at source.
• Use a PM meter to confirm controls are working against the HSE WEL.

Consistent use of these controls keeps RCS exposures low, work areas cleaner, and neighbouring trades productive.