Dust control for bag-opening machines
Solid and powder materials frequently arrive at plants in paper or plastic bags that must be opened, emptied, and discarded. These activities almost always create dust that contaminates the workroom air. Control measures for occupational dust exposures reported in the scientific and commercial literature are often incomplete. During 1983 to 1984, the Engineering Control Technology Branch of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health [NIOSH] conducted 5 field evaluations potentially effective dust control measures for bag opening, emptying, and disposal.
Three studies were conducted in production facilities and 2 in pilot plants. For each of these studies, a survey report was prepared describing the site of the evaluation, the procedures used to evaluate the dust control measures, and the findings. These reports are available for public distribution from the National Technical Information Service [NTIS]. This article reviews both the findings from the survey reports and the control measures described in the literature.