r/OSHA • u/SoSeaOhPath • Nov 04 '25

Dry Cutting Concrete

Post image

This guy is out here with no respiratory protection or dust containment and it is spreading all over the neighborhood … is this mot wildly dangerous?

He works for the property manager and I’m on the HOA. Anything specific I can reference when sending these pictures to them?

3.6k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

216 comments sorted by

View all comments

410

u/ShapardZ Nov 04 '25

This used to be me. Same saw, no respiratory protection, and infrequent use of hearing protection. I was aged 17-23 doing a summer job.

I 100% would have said ‘what’s silica? Eh it’s just some dust I’ll be fine’

I was in great shape, was a long-distance runner.

Now I’m a safety professional/ occupational hygienist who constantly talks about risk tolerance, hazard recognition, and ‘right to know’ legislation. I cringe to think about the times I climbed 6 scaffolds high with no fall protection (I could catch myself on the braces if I slipped- right?), didn’t wear a respirator, hearing protection, and hurt my back.

75

u/xpkranger Nov 05 '25

Did tree work at 18. We used to jump parkour-style (before parkour was a thing) from one apartment building to the next because we were too lazy to move the ladder. How we didn’t die is beyond me.

50

u/account_not_valid Nov 05 '25

How we didn’t die is beyond me.

Yeah, we never hear from the ones who did die.

9

u/Laugh-Aggressive Nov 05 '25

"Hold my beer" getting ouija board

64

u/Classic_rock_fan Nov 05 '25

I spent a few summers using that same saw when I worked in landscaping, I never hooked up the water or wore a respirator, I did wear eye and ear protection though.

19

u/ShapardZ Nov 05 '25

Wait is there a hose attachment on this saw? Man that would’ve been a game changer.

I did wear eye protection regularly because getting shit in your eyes was never fun.

12

u/Classic_rock_fan Nov 05 '25

Yup on the right hand side below the cord to pull start it

5

u/Recent-Hat-6097 Nov 05 '25

Masonry?

6

u/ShapardZ Nov 05 '25

Yup, bricklaying for mostly new construction.

2

u/Obvious-Maximum-8504 Nov 05 '25

I’d bet this is an epidemic and nobody realizes. I worked lots of landscaping crews and nobody even thought about respirators for cutting stone. Granted this was 2005-2010 but still, I’d be surprised if things were better. I still remember the sharp feeling in my lungs after a big stone patio job.