You may have heard the word ’silicosis’ before, but what is silica dust exposure and how do you know if you’re at risk?
Silicosis is an occupational lung disease mainly caused by inhaling respirable crystalline silica dust.
Silica is a naturally occurring mineral commonly found in soil, sand, granite and many other rocks. It can also be found in commercial products such as:
- Engineered (artificial) stone
- Bricks
- Concrete
- Drywall
- Mortar
- Tiles
- Some plastics
In their natural state, these products are harmless, but when they are cut, crushed, drilled, ground, polished, sanded or sawed– or worked on in any way that disturbs the natural silica content– a fine dust known as silica dust is generated. This dust gets into the lungs and can cause silicosis, which is irreversible and progressive. Silicosis can develop after short or long term silica dust exposure.
Who is at risk of silica dust exposure?
It is estimated that up to 600,000 Australian workers are currently experiencing silica dust exposure. A range of industries are impacted, such as the engineered stone benchtop industry as well as the quarrying, construction, tunnelling and mining industries, including manufacturing processes.
Examples of work activities that can generate silica dust include:
- During fabrication and installation of artificial stone benchtops
- 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
- Foundry casting
- Angle grinding, jack hammering, and chiselling of concrete or masonry
- Hydraulic fracturing of gas and oil wells, and
- Pottery making
It is important to remember that you don’t have to be the one directly experiencing silica dust exposure to be impacted. Other workers, such as administration staff working near where dust being generated, can be at risk too.
What can I do to protect myself?
Under Work Health and Safety legislation, your employer has a duty of care to control risks to your health and safety.
The Hierarchy of Controls is a system for controlling risks in the workplace. It ranks control measures from the highest level of protection and reliability to the lowest. As a worker, you are required to follow the Hierarchy of Controls.
It is also recommended you talk to your doctor about your silica dust exposure, even if you are not experiencing any symptoms.
Resources
If you’re an employee exposed to dust, fumes, gases or other hazardous agents at work, check out our digital directory for state-by-state information and support services. You will also find information on health monitoring, as well as general resources relevant to your industry.
For more information about silicosis and other occupational lung diseases, visit our webpage here.