Contractors: Prepare for wind gusts in June

.
On May 24th, Madison saw gusts of 50 mph, sending billowing clouds of dust from three construction sites we inspected.

March and April are usually said to be the windiest months here--the months with the highest average wind speed.

But it's actually June that's the month with the highest average peak gusts--of 50.7 mph.*  Both June and July have the highest gusts on record--both of 83 mph.

Concrete dust is toxic!

.

Concrete dust will come back to bite you in the end.

On April 25, 2012, personnel from ALL-TIM-IT Landscaping, Waunakee, WI, were working without dust protection on S. Owen Dr in Madison, WI.

Concrete dust is highly alkaline and corrosive.  It can also cause silicosis of the lungs.

Two small children were present at this house during the work.  One was outside.  The family had not been warned about the danger from dust.

One solution to the dust is to use a saw that is water-cooled.  This converts the dust to a slurry.  However, many contractors do not dispose of the slurry properly.  It is illegal to discard it into the gutter or storm sewer.

Just one example of a widespread problem

The concrete industry is not sustainable, and is headed for trouble.  We have reported elsewhere in this blog about widespread abuse in the disposal of concrete slurry and washout.

The public is frequently exposed to dust from slurry in streets, or the mixing of concrete products.