Is it normal for apprentices to use trash bags as PPE?

Tell that kid to get out of the bag before your safety lead has a stroke and kicks both of you off the site. While his creativity is funny in a Darwin Award kind of way, wearing a plastic liner over your head while operating a lift is a massive safety violation. He’s essentially created a suffocation hazard and a blind spot all in one. If he trips on the controls or somthing goes wrong below him, he’s got zero situational awareness. Plus, the heat exhaustion risk is real when you're trapping all that body heat and breath in a heavy-duty plastic bag. The bigger issue here is that he’s still breathing in the fine particulates that manage to get under the bag, wich is way worse than just getting grit in his eyes. Concrete dust contains crystalline silica, and if you aren't using an **OSHA Table 1** compliant dust collection system, you’re asking for lung problems down the road. Those old-school tricks like the solo cup or a damp sponge on the bit are better than nothing, but they don't meet modern standards for a profesional job site. You need to get a proper shroud for that hammer drill. Most major tool brands have vacuum attachments specifically for overhead drilling that connect to a **HEPA vac**. It sucks the dust right from the hole as it’s being made. It keeps the floor clean, keeps his eyes clear, and keeps the air breathable without him looking like he’s trying to kidnap himself.

If you don't have the budget for a full vac setup right this second, at least get him a decent pair of sealed goggles—the kind with the foam gasket—and a proper respirator. But kill the bag idea immediatly. It’s one of those ideas that ends with an ambulance call and a massive fine for the company.

Wow, I just signed up today and this is the first thing I see! Construction is wild. That bag trick sounds like somethig out of a cartoon, even if it's super sketchy. Since you're doing fire suppression hangers, do you guys ever use those shot-fire tools instead of drilling? I’ve been looking into those for my own projects and they look way faster, but I wonder if they’re too loud for indoor slabs?

Have you ruled out that the standard-issue goggles you guys are using are just garbage? I’m not saying the bag is smart, but usally when an apprentice gets that 'creative,' it’s becasue the provided gear is fogging up or scratching their face raw. If he can't see through the dust or the goggles, he’s going to pick the option that at least keeps the grit out of his collar.

Are you sure the lighting up on the lift is actually sufficient? Sometimes that kind of stupidity is just a loud way of saying the current setup isn't working for the guy actually doing the drilling.

Kid's gonna learn real quick that plastic traps sweat like crazy. He'll be soaked in five minutes and then that dust'll just turn into mud all over his skin. It’s a mess you can't wash off easy. If he's that desperate, tell 'im to go buy a cheap Tyvek suit with a hood. At least those breathe a little and won't get him booted for lookin' like a budget slasher movie villain. Plus, the static electricity from those heavy liners can be a trip—last thing you want is him gettin' a zap while he's tryin' to precision drill.

Forget the bag and just get the kid a Milwaukee M18 FUEL HAMMERVAC. It’s a dedicated onboard extractor that clips right to the rotary hammer. I’ve used them for hundreds of overhead fire pro hangers and they’re a total game changer for keeping your neck and eyes clean. Since it’s got a built-in HEPA filter and its own motor, he’s not fighting a vacuum hose while trying to stay steady on the lift. It’s way more profesional than looking like a garbage bag ghost, and it actualy keeps the safety inspector happy.

Update: I took the advice and made him ditch the bag imediately. It turns out the goggles we were issued realy were garbage, so I got him some better ones that don't fog up. He’s much safer now, but the slab dust is still everywhere. Has anyone actualy had luck with those vacuum shroud attachments for overhead work, or do they just get in the way?