Floor Care · Guide
Dust in floor care is two problems wearing one name. During grinding and polishing it is a serious health hazard, respirable silica. Day to day it is the grit that quietly sands the shine off your finish. Both are controllable, and both matter.
Concrete, terrazzo, and stone contain crystalline silica, and mechanically grinding or polishing them generates respirable dust. Controlling it is both a safety duty and a legal one under the OSHA respirable crystalline silica standard, which requires engineering controls, exposure control, and respiratory protection. In practice that means dust is captured at the source, not swept up afterward.
This is core to how we approach concrete, terrazzo, and stone work.
| Method | What it does |
|---|---|
| HEPA dust extraction | Shrouded grinders pull dust into a HEPA vacuum at the tool, before it goes airborne |
| Wet methods | Water suppresses dust during cutting and grinding where appropriate |
| Containment | Sealing off the work area keeps dust from migrating into occupied space |
| Respiratory protection | Properly selected respirators protect workers when controls are not enough alone |
HEPA filters capture the very fine particles a standard vacuum would blow back into the air, which is why dustless grinding relies on them.
Most of the dust battle is daily, not during big jobs. Grit is the number-one enemy of a floor finish and a polish. Keep it down with:
This is a big part of why a maintenance program protects the build between services.
Related: concrete floor care, terrazzo, marble and stone, and maintenance programs.
Planning concrete or terrazzo work? Get a free floor assessment and we will scope dust control with it.
Very fine dust released when materials like concrete, terrazzo, and stone are ground or cut. The particles are small enough to reach deep into the lungs and cause serious, irreversible disease with exposure over time.
The dust can be, because of silica. It is controlled with HEPA dust extraction, wet methods, containment, and respiratory protection under the OSHA silica standard.
Capture it at the source with shrouded grinders connected to HEPA vacuums, use wet methods where appropriate, contain the area, and use respiratory protection.
A HEPA filter captures extremely fine particles that ordinary vacuums recirculate into the air. Dustless grinding depends on HEPA extraction to capture silica safely.
Yes. Tracked-in grit acts like sandpaper underfoot and is one of the fastest ways finish and polish lose their shine. Dust mopping and matting slow it dramatically.
Walk-off mats trap grit and moisture at the door before they reach the floor, protecting both finish and polish and reducing how often floors need attention.
Grinding with shrouded tools connected to HEPA vacuums so dust is captured at the source rather than released into the air.
An OSHA standard requiring employers to limit worker exposure to respirable crystalline silica through engineering controls, work practices, and respiratory protection.
Tell us your facility, floor types, and square footage. We'll scope the work and send a written quote. Not sure what you have? Send a photo and we'll tell you.