The sound of the
pneumatic pavement breaker blows, combined with the explosive air exhaust, makes pneumatic rock drill dangerously loud, emitting 100 decibels at two meters. Sound-blocking earmuffs must be worn by the operator to prevent a form of hearing damage of which tinnitus is the main symptom. Most pneumatic rock drills now have a silencer around the barrel of the tool.
Prolonged exposure to the pronounced vibration conducted by the tool can lead to blood-circulation failures in the fingers, a condition known as white finger. Applying athletic tape is not very effective in preventing white finger but seems to help alleviate some of its discomfort.
Pneumatic pavement breaker usage can also lead to a predisposition for development of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Some manufacturers of electro-pneumatic rock drill now offer vibration reduction systems to reduce the vibration felt by the operator. For example, the Hilti TE 3000-AVR has approximately the same impact energy of a 60 lb pneumatic rock drill, but the vibration felt by the operator is significantly less (7 meters per second squared). Other manufacturers such as Makita, DeWalt and Bosch also offer electric tools with vibration dampening.
Using a pneumatic pavement breaker to break up concrete pavement may expose the operator to hazardous dust containing respirable crystalline silica.
