DTH Drill Dust Control: Specify the Whole Package

What the source documents establish

Published 18 October 2026. This is technical procurement analysis of earlier documents, not a report of a new rule or tender. NIOSH’s undated Engineering Controls Database entry cites its 2009 rock-drilling guidance. It describes wet control through the drill stem and dry collection using an enclosure at the hole connected to a collector. It also stresses control-system maintenance. [1]

Epiroc’s AirROC T35 / D50 brochure, revision dated August 2021, lists water-injection, water-mist and dust-collector options for its own machines. Its air schedule distinguishes configurations with and without the collector. These are model-specific examples; they do not establish an available attachment, air requirement or performance result for a YQD rig. [2]

Ask for a system boundary, not a component label

RigSpan’s procurement interpretation is to ask where the proposed system begins and ends. For a dry-collection offer, request identification of the hole-area enclosure, ducting, collector and collected-material discharge arrangement. For a wet-control proposal, request the offered equipment, interfaces and water-supply scope. Have the responsible supplier and site team determine the applicable arrangement; this article selects neither a universal method nor operating settings.

A quotation saying only “dust collector included” leaves important purchasing questions unanswered. Does it include the capture enclosure and connecting hoses? What drives the equipment? Which replacement items are supplied? Which details remain subject to the site brief? Put those answers in the same schedule as the rig and drill string.

Six lines to add to the equipment schedule

The following is an editorial comparison aid, not an engineering design or acceptance standard.

Keep auxiliary demand visible in compressor comparisons

When an offered arrangement uses compressed air for auxiliary functions, ask the supplier to show those consumers alongside the hammer and drilling requirements. Request the actual system diagram and duty basis for the quoted configuration. Do not apply another manufacturer’s component figures to a YQD machine or select a compressor from its engine power alone.

Epiroc’s separate schedules illustrate why an offer should state which equipment is included in an air-demand total. They do not supply a conversion factor for a RigSpan catalogue entry. Compare the proposed rig, tools and auxiliaries together using the air-compressor RFQ guide.

Separate equipment handover from site verification

Before ordering, request the exact control-system manual, replacement-item references and an agreed demonstration or commissioning scope. Identify who supplies and installs each item, who provides instructions, and which records accompany handover. A catalogue picture or an unloaded equipment demonstration is not evidence of dust-control effectiveness during the buyer’s work.

NIOSH’s source discusses site-specific control programmes and exposure monitoring. An equipment acceptance checklist should therefore record the responsible site specialists and the separate verification process, rather than promise an exposure outcome from a collector model. This procurement article sets no exposure limit and provides no compliance certification or substitute for site assessment.

Use the rig enquiry to close the open items

The YQD catalogue configurations below provide three starting points for discussing the drilling package. Their model names and listed hole ranges do not confirm an installed dust-control system. Ask for the exact supplied configuration and a written response to each open scope item.

Use the DTH equipment package schedule, hammer and bit connection checklist and download library to keep the mechanical and auxiliary scopes together. RigSpan coordinates sourcing questions with suppliers; references to NIOSH and Epiroc do not imply endorsement, appointment or compatibility with their equipment.