Specification
Page 5 of 10
Date of Issue: 06/01/15
231 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 2000
Chicago, IL 60604
Other limits recommended: The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) also has a
Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) of 0.05 mg/m
3
for respirable crystalline silica, based on a 10-hour
time-weighted average.
Engineering Controls
Personal protection when handling products that may generate silica dust: (1) follow James
Hardie ® instructions and best practices to reduce or limit the release of dust; (2) warn others in
the area to avoid the dust; (3) when using mechanical saw or high-speed cutting tools, work
outdoors and use dust collection equipment, and (4) if no other dust controls are available, wear
a NIOSH-approved dust mask or respirator (e.g. N95 dust mask).
During clean-up, use a well-maintained vacuum and filter appropriate for capturing fine
(respirable) dust or use wet cleanup methods—never dry sweep.
Cutting Outdoors
1. Position cutting station so that wind will blow dust away
from user or others in working area and allow for ample
dust dissipation
2. Use one of the following methods based on the required
cutting rate and job-site conditions:
BEST
Score and snap using carbide-tipped scoring knife
or utility knife
Fiber-cement shears (electric or pneumatic)
BETTER
Dust reducing circular saw equipped with
Hardieblade
TM
saw blade and HEPA vacuum
extraction
GOOD (for low to moderate cutting only)
Dust reducing circular saw with Hardieblade
TM
saw blade
Cutting Indoors
Cut only using score and snap method or with
fiber-cement shears (manual, electric or
pneumatic)
Position cutting station in well-ventilated area to
allow for dust dissipation
Sanding / Rebating / Drilling /
Other Machining
If sanding, rebating, drilling or other machining is necessary, you
should always wear a NIOSH-approved dust mask or respirator
(e.g. N-95) and warn others in the immediate area.
Clean-Up
During clean-up of dust and debris, NEVER dry sweep as it may
excite silica dust particles into the user’s breathing area. Instead,
wet debris down with a fine mist to suppress dust during sweeping,
or use a HEPA vacuum to collect particles.
Important Notes
1. For maximum protection (lowest respirable dust
production), James Hardie ® recommends always using
“Best”-level cutting methods where feasible
2. NEVER use a power saw indoors