Crystalline Silica
Duties of manufacturers and suppliers of crystalline silica substances
Action Plan for Health and Safety Reps
A strategy to prevent work related injury and illness must be aimed at modifying the workplace - controlling the hazard at source - rather than modifying, screening or excluding workers from the workplace.
As an OHS rep, you need to make your members aware of the risks of exposure to silica and ensure that the employer complies with their duties under the legislation to eliminate or reduce the risks.
- Check that materials used for abrasive blasting DO NOT contain more than 1% silica.
- Equipment used for cutting, grinding, etc. should be fitted with dust extraction devices.
- Where dust extraction is not practical, wet methods should be utilised.
- Unfortunately, for many jobs, some form of respiratory protection will be required. The type of respirator will depend on the amount of dust created by the process. Ensure the workers are thoroughly trained in the use and maintenance of respiratory protective devices. This training must be provided by an appropriately trained person before workers are required to use the PPE.
- Where there is likely to be excessive dust, all other workers should be cleared from the area so as prevent any unnecessary exposure.
- The removal of residual dust generated by the work process must be done in a manner that will not make the dust airborne
- Work with your workmates and your union to implement the Engineered stone ban.
To assess whether your product contains crystalline silica or other chemical constituents like resins, consider engaging an accredited laboratory recognized by the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) or an equivalent laboratory participating in the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA). They can conduct an analysis of your product to determine its composition.
It is important that there be monitoring of silica dust levels generated by the activity. The results can then be used to establish effective control methods in work practices and ensure that they remain effective. It is important that an approved workplace consultant who can also provide advice on workplace control strategies do monitoring. Contact your union for further advice.
More information on silica and its effects
The following activities create silica dust:
- Brick cutting and chasing.
- Angle grinding on concrete or masonry.
- Concrete cutting. Jack hammering, scabbling and chiselling of concrete.
- Cleaning up of dust and debris created by the above activities.
- Cutting and working with manufactured stone (eg Caesarstone)
Workers at risk include those involved in:
- building, construction and demolition work
- preparing kitchen/laundry benchtops (manufactured stone)
- excavation work
- abrasive blasting (but use of silica in abrasive blasting is now prohibited in Victoria - see below)
- mining, quarrying, crushing and tunnelling work
- brick making and glass making
- road building
- stonework
- foundry or casting work
- explosives blasting work
- art workers, including teachers and cleaners
- jewellery workers (particularly in developing countries)
What are the health effects of exposure to silica dust?
The following diseases are caused by excessive exposure to airborne silica dust:
- Silicosis
- Mesothelioma
- Acute silicosis (rapid development after short exposure to high concentrations of silica dust).
- Silicotuberculosis (silicosis sufferers are at a higher risk of developing tuberculosis)
- Lung cancer
Silica dust, along with other atmospheric contaminates, can also cause or exacerbate these diseases:
- Simple chronic bronchitis;
- Chronic airway obstruction;
- kidney disease;
- Lung cancer.
Autoimmune diseases:
Recently lawyers have successfully drawn a connection to silica exposure and a number of autoimmune conditions including lupus, scleroderma and rheumatoid arthritis. In March 2021, WorkSafe Victoria insurers accepted a compensation claim for an employee who was diagnosed with lupus after being exposed to toxic silica dust. Read more and listen to ABC radio here)
What is silicosis?
Silicosis is a serious disease of the lungs caused by breathing in crystalline silica dust. Crystalline silica is a basic component of soil, sand, granite, and many other minerals (a common type is quartz). It can become respirable dust when workers chip, cut, drill, or grind objects that contain crystalline silica. In addition, the practice of using sand and other materials containing silica for abrasive blasting led to the creation of high levels of crystalline silica dust.
Silicosis can be disabling or even fatal. There are three types of silicosis:
- Chronic/classic silicosis - this is the most common form and occurs after 15-20 years of moderate to low exposures to respirable crystalline silica.
- Accelerated silicosis - which can occur after 5-10 years of high exposure.
- Acute silicosis - which can occur after a few months or as long as 2 years after exposure to extremely high levels of crystalline silica.
To learn more about the terrible effects of the disease, see this short film from China: Dying to breathe, about workers who contract silicosis after working in gold mines.
Crystalline silica also causes cancer of the lungs.
The VTHC OHS Unit has a webinar on Silica broadcast in August 2018 and available here on our Facebook page: you should check out - and then complete the quiz.
October, 2017 Cancer Council targets Silica Dust
Cancer Council Australia called for tradies to be more aware of cancer risks on the job in the light of new estimates that over 230 lung cancer cases in Australia each year are caused by exposure to silica dust in the workplace. About 600,000 Australian workers are exposed to silica dust at work each year, including miners, construction workers, farmers, engineers, bricklayers and road construction workers, as well as those working in demolition.
Terry Slevin, Chair, Occupational and Environmental Cancer Risk Committee Cancer Council Australia, said "Silica is surprisingly common – it's found in stone, rock, sand, gravel and clay, as well as bricks, tiles, concrete and some plastic materials. When these materials are worked on or cut, silica is released as a fine dust that's 100 times smaller than a grain of sand. It's so small you can't see it – but if you breathe it in, in some cases it can lead to lung cancer."
Mr Slevin said that it was the responsibility of both employers and employees to act now to reduce the number of silica related lung cancer cases. "Employers have a legal responsibility to provide a safe place to work. Likewise, those working with silica need to take responsibility for their future health, get informed and protect themselves."
Read more: webpage with downloadable pdf document.
Live Show
The OHS team at Victoria Trades Hall Council recently produced a webinar with industry experts on silica, where it's found, the damage it can cause and the protective actions that can be taken.
Quiz
To help test your knowledge on silica, we developed a short quiz. Go for 5/5.
See also
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- CFMEU Alert: Silica Dust Dangers
- Artificial stone associated silicosis - A rapidly emerging occupational lung disease. A Power point presentation [pdf] by Dr Ryan Hoy, November 2017
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WorkSafe Victoria:
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Safe Work Australia:
Guidance produced in September 2024
- What is silica dust? - Working with crystalline silica substances
- How silica dust is produced - Working with crystalline silica substances
- Work producing silica dust that is high risk - Working with crystalline silica substances
- Identifying and assessing the risks from silica dust in the workplace - Working with crystalline silica substances
- Processing of a crystalline silica substance: Risk management process - Working with crystalline silica substances
- Controlling the risks from silica dust - Working with crystalline silica substances
- Completing a silica risk control plan - Working with crystalline silica substances
- Queensland:
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From the HSE: a range of COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) Essentials with a range of flyers for managers and then a number of topics for:
- :Brick and tile making - information on clay milling, sand handling and screening, facing green bricks with sand, moving green and fired bricks, manual dehacking and batching, tile pressing, ventilated vehicle cabs
- Construction - information on concrete scabbling, chasing, Drilling and coring with power tools, crushing and screening, clearing and removing rubble, tunnelling and shaft sinking, and more.
- Ceramics - information on glaze and colour preparation, casting, fettling, kiln loading (placing) and unloading, and spraying glazes and colours
- Foundries - covering topics from fumes to furnace relining
- Manufacturing - information on making products that include mineral powder, dry-mixing powders containing silica, and small packing operations: Dry products containing silica
- Quarries - information on exacavting and haulage, crushing, drying and cooling, dry screening , silica flour: bag filling and transfer, cleaning up silica dusts and more
- Slate Works - information on primary sawing, automated slate sawing, sawing slate into special sizes and shapes, manual slate splitting, and dressing slate
- Stonemasons - information for managers, and on sawing, using rotary tools and chiselling
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Stoneworkers - a topic information page
And also: - Controlling exposure to stonemasonry dust: Guidance for employers
and Control of Exposure to Silica advice for employers on how to protect themselves and their employees from harmful dust present in many products like bricks, tiles and concrete.
- From the US:
- From National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a webpage on silicosis - specifically for workers in construction and abrasive blasting.
- Construction Research and Training (CPWR) - an organisation working closely with US construction unions- a website Work safely with silica. As well as information on US silica regulation and official research, the new resource includes other research, articles, and training materials, as well as responses to frequently asked questions. The site includes a 'Know the hazard' section, geared for anyone interested in learning more about why silica is hazardous, the risk, who's at risk, the health effects, and steps workers and contractors can take to work safely with silica.
Last updated September 2024
Important Chemicals Information
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Hazard
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Items
- Hazardous Substances - An introduction to Legislation
- Dangerous or Hazardous? What's the difference?
- Chemicals management in workplaces
- Material Safety Data Sheets
- Exposure Standards for Chemicals
- Chemicals - Useful websites
- Cancer - what causes it?
- Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
- Perfumes and scents: chemicals too!