Rock breakers are powerful and effective pieces of machinery that, in almost all situations, get the job done faster and more efficiently than any other method. That said, they are a brute force tool that produces noise, flying debris, and dust.
When it comes to noise, we’re not just talking about the noise made by the pick hitting the concrete. We are also talking about the noise caused from the hammer inside the housing generating a large amount of noise.
These impacts are also the cause of the flying debris and dust produced by the rock breaker. Both present a potential risk to the operator of the rock breaker, other workers nearby, other people nearby, nearby property, and to animals.
Mitigating Risks When a Rock Breaker is Operation
Most safety recommendations and guidelines for the use of rock breakers are concerned with the machine itself. For example, getting the boom down pressure and thrust direction right, not using the rock breaker to move broken rocks, and carefully positioning the steel point rather than dropping it onto the concrete or rock you want to break.
In terms of safety to people, the recommendations are typically limited to keeping workers and others at a safe distance from the rock breaker when it is in operation. As for the operator, the recommended risk mitigation measures usually involve wearing PPE, i.e. eye protection and/or face shields.
When it comes to noise control for construction sites, guidelines more often than not only involve another PPE recommendation for the operator, i.e. ensuring the operator wears hearing protection.
The Risk Mitigation Reality When Using a Rock Breaker
For many sites and work environments, however, this is not enough to mitigate all the risks involved. Even with the recommended PPE, operators are still at risk and it is not always practicable to keep other workers at a safe distance given the distance flying debris can sometimes travel when using a rock breaker.
You have to maintain that safe working distance from the rock breaker as much as possible, of course, as safety is the priority in these situations. This can slow down operations, however, and is generally not efficient.
In terms of sound control for construction sites, hearing protection may be suitable for the operator, but it won’t be suitable for all other workers.
Then there are those not working on the site but who are in close proximity – nearby residents, those working in businesses located close to the site, those walking by, etc. Do they have to simply put up with the excessive noise of a rock breaker doing its work?
Finding an Innovative Solution
In the modern world of construction and civil construction works, accepting the above as the ongoing reality is not enough. Clients now demand more as do employees, regulators, lawmakers, local authorities, and members of the public.
As a result, innovative thinking is required, although the solutions that solve the problems don’t need to be complex, challenging to implement, or prohibitively expensive.
Our HushTec rock breaker attachment is the perfect example. It comes in a standard design and can be fully customised and branded. Therefore, it fits any type of rock breaker with fitting only taking a couple of minutes.
Then, you just use the rock breaker as you normally would. The high-quality material is clear at the bottom so the operator can see the position of the steel point on the rock or concrete. This material, however, prevents debris from flying anywhere, keeping it contained in the HushTec attachment.
The attachment greatly reduces noise levels too – by up to 10db, in fact. This noise control solution for construction sites is good for the operator as it further mitigates the impact of noise.
It is also good for other workers and anyone else close to the building site as they will also experience reduced noise levels.
In other words, this attachment takes rock breaker safety and noise reduction to the next level.