On-tool dust extraction
On-tool dust extraction is LEV fitted to a power tool (hood plus M or H class vacuum) that captures silica dust as it's cut, before it reaches the breathing zone.
Ask Chalkline about this →On-tool dust extraction is a local exhaust ventilation (LEV) system fitted directly to a power tool to capture respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust at the point it is produced, before it reaches the worker’s breathing zone. It is one of the engineering controls in the silica dust control hierarchy (verified 2026-05-24, WorkSafe QLD).
What it consists of:
- The tool (grinder, saw, drill, polisher).
- A capturing hood or shroud over the cutting or grinding zone.
- Tubing to an M-class or H-class dust extraction unit (industrial vacuum). Both M and H class are accepted for construction dust containing RCS (verified 2026-05-24, WorkSafe QLD).
How it’s used: cutting, grinding, drilling, or polishing silica-containing materials (concrete, brick, stone, tiles) generates RCS, and on-tool extraction removes the dust as it is generated. It is often combined with wet cutting (water suppression); the regulators treat LEV / on-tool extraction and wet methods as the primary engineering controls. Respiratory protection is worn in addition, not instead.
Why it matters: RCS causes silicosis. The workplace exposure standard is 0.05 mg/m³ (eight-hour time-weighted average), and dry-cutting silica materials without controls blows straight past it (verified 2026-05-24, Safe Work Australia). Engineering controls sit above PPE in the hierarchy: control the dust at source first.
Common defect: using a standard shop-vac instead of an M/H-class unit (the fine RCS passes straight through and back into the air), or running the tool without the shroud fitted or with a clogged filter.
Also known as: on-tool extraction, LEV on-tool capture, dust shroud and vacuum.
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Last updated: 2026-05-24. Verified: 2026-05-24. Quarterly review for currency.