Take a deep breath...

We've heard of baker's lung from flour/grains, black lung from coal, and other occupational-induced lung diseases.

Today we're going to talk about Silicosis - one caused by silica dust found in sand, stone, concrete and mortar.

So what is Silicosis?

Dust particles are created when silica-containing materials are cut, crushed, drilled, polished, sawed, or ground by workers. These dust particles are small enough to lodge deep in the lungs and cause disease or illness. Once inside the lungs, the dust particles can scar the lungs. This scarring is known as?silicosis.

Who is at Risk?

Because silica is one of the most abundant minerals in the earth's crust and is used in many products across various industries and workplaces, many workers can be at risk of exposure to silica dust.?

Even kitchen and bathroom benchtops, bricks, tiles and some plastics contain silica.

Some examples of work activities that can generate respirable silica dust include:?

• Making and installing stone countertops?
• excavation, earth moving and drilling plant operations?
• clay and stone processing machine operations?
• paving and surfacing?
• mining,?quarrying?and mineral ore-treating processes?
• tunnelling?
• construction labouring activities?
• brick,?concrete?or stone cutting; especially using dry methods?
• abrasive blasting (blasting agent must not contain greater than 1 per cent of crystalline silica)?
• foundry casting?
• angle grinding, jackhammering and chiselling of concrete or masonry?
• hydraulic fracturing of gas and oil wells
• pottery making

What diseases can silica dust cause?

If a worker is exposed to and breathes in silica dust, they could develop:

Acute silicosis?

• Can develop after a short exposure to very high levels of silica dust, within a few weeks or years, and causes severe inflammation and an outpouring of protein into the lung?

Accelerated silicosis?

• Can develop after exposures of 3 to 10 years to moderate to high levels of silica dust and causes inflammation, protein in the lung and scarring of the lung (fibrotic nodules)?

Chronic silicosis?

• Can develop after long-term exposure to lower levels of silica dust and causes fibrotic nodules and shortness of breath?
• can include progressive massive fibrosis where the fibrotic nodules in the lung aggregate?

Scleroderma

• A disease of the connective tissue of the body resulting in the formation of scar tissue in the skin,?joints?and other organs of the body.?

Additionally, we see silica dust cause chronic bronchitis, emphysema, lung cancer?and kidney damage.

Choosing the best control measure

Under the model WHS Regulations, PCBUs (persons conducting a business or undertaking) have specific duties to control the risks to health and safety associated with the use, handling, production, and storage of hazardous chemicals, such as silica. In the case of silica, health monitoring for employees is required and workplace exposure guidelines should not be exceeded.

Control measures to consider:?

Substitution: source composite stone benchtops with a lower percentage of silica

Isolation: using enclosures and automation to conduct dust-generating tasks?

Engineering controls: local exhaust ventilation, water suppression (wet cutting) or using tools with dust collection attachments

If the risk still remains you can implement:

• Administrative controls: shift rotations, housekeeping policies, modifying cutting sequences
• PPE: respiratory equipment and work clothing that does not collect dust

The workplace exposure standard:?

Silica dust must not exceed 0/05mg/m3 (eight-hour time-weighted average).?

Health monitoring for exposed workers:?

• collection of?demographic, medical and occupational history?
• records of personal exposure?
• standardised respiratory questionnaire?
• standardised respiratory function tests, for example, FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC, and?
• chest X-Ray full PA view (baseline and?high risk?workers only).?

Working with silica and silica-containing products

SafeWork Australia has put together a complete guide for working with silica and silica-containing products. Ensure your processes are compliant and keep your workers safe.?Download Here

HSE Snippets

Age and Industry of Silicosis?

A report?conducted between 1996 and 2017 found that the Foundry Industry had the highest number of silicosis diagnoses, particularly for people over 65 years old.?

Catch us at the WHS Show

We're presenting at the Workplace Health and Safety Show in Brisbane on 31st May and 1st June 2023!?Register for free?and come say hello!?

Changes to Exposure Standard Coal Dust

WHS laws?surrounding workplace exposure standards have been adjusted with respirable coal dust reduced from 3 mg/m3?to 1.5 mg/m3.

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