BAC Craft Committees Continue to Guide Masonry r2p Partnership Safety & Health Priorities

JOURNAL: ISSUE 1 - 2017

The Masonry r2p Partnership is increasingly being viewed as the go-to group for advice and support for research on existing and emerging hazards facing the industry. One example is a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) funded research project undertaken at the request of the Partnership to identify tools to control silica dust during tuckpointing – one of the highest silica-generating tasks. NIOSH researchers Alan Echt, Chaolong Qi, and their team are currently evaluating tools, controls and work practices with the potential to protect members from silica exposure and reduce or better eliminate the need for respiratory protection during tuckpointing operations. With input from the Partnership and the support of the Southern Ohio-Kentucky Regional Training Center in Batavia, OH that volunteered space and trainer expertise for the testing, work on this project is moving forward and a related training program will be developed. At a recent partnership meeting held at International Masonry Institute’s National Training Center, Echt and Qi demonstrated the tools under review and received input from the partners on next steps and suggestions for other tools to include in the study.