environmental Strategist, between the lines: What is silica? Silica is one of the most common minerals in the earth’s crust. There are two forms of silica, crystalline and non-crystalline. Crystalline silica, also referred to as quartz, is a common mineral. It’s found in soil, sand, granite, concrete, rock, artificial rock, gravel, clay and many other materials. Cutting, chipping, grinding, and drilling these materials creates a lot of dust, which contains tiny crystalline silica particles. This airborne silica dust can easily be breathed in, causing a major health hazard for exposed workers.
Crystalline silica has been classified as a human lung carcinogen and can cause serious lung disease and lung cancer. It only takes a very small amount of respirable silica dust to create a health hazard.
One of the dangerous effects of silica exposure is a disease called silicosis, which can be contracted after just a few months of high exposure. Silicosis occurs when silica dust enters the lungs and causes the formation of scar tissue, reducing the lungs’ ability to take in oxygen. There is no cure for silicosis, and cases can be disabling or even fatal.
The new rule significantly lowers the silica level that workers may be exposed to and imposes several new requirements on roughly 676,000 employers. Some of the industries impacted by the new silica rule include: construction, mining, glass manufacturing, pottery products, structural clay products, concrete products, foundries, dental laboratories, paintings & coatings, jewelry production, refractory products, landscaping, ready-mix concrete, cut stone and stone products, abrasive blasting, refractory furnace installation and repair, railroads, hydraulic fracturing for gas and old, asphalt products manufacturing….
As the article in the link below starts out, “The new silica regulation imposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) limiting employee exposure to crystalline silica may be detailed and complex, but the agency takes compliance seriously and is not expected to cut the employer any slack if caught violating the rule.”
Make sure your clients with a silica exposure are aware of the new regulations.
https://www.ehstoday.com/industrial-hygiene/learning-live-new-silica-rule
