Crystalline silica is a common mineral found in the earth’s crust. Materials like sand, stone, concrete and mortar contain crystalline silica. It is also used to make products such as glass, pottery, ceramics, bricks and artificial stone.
Respirable crystalline silica — very small particles at least 100 times smaller than ordinary sand — is created when cutting, sawing, grinding, drilling and crushing stone, rock, concrete, brick, block and mortar. Activities such as sawing brick or concrete; sanding or drilling into concrete walls; grinding mortar; cutting asphalt; and cutting or crushing stone all result in worker exposures to respirable crystalline silica dust. If you smoke, this can compound the effects of the silica dust in your lungs.
Without proper protection, workers can be exposed to high levels of silica dust that can cause severe health issues that can lead to death. These health issues such as silicosis, an incurable lung disease that can lead to disability and/or death, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and even kidney disease. These diseases may not only shorten your lifespan, but can make life very hard to live. People with advanced diseases may not be able to climb a set of stairs without losing their breath. Your lifestyle will change dramatically as these diseases take over.
The scary part is that silicosis takes time. It may take years of exposure without protection, but it will slowly rob you of your ability to breathe normally — so slow that you might not notice it for years as it gradually takes your breath. At some point, you’ll decide to go get checked out by a doctor, and it will be too late. If you are an employee who regularly cuts concrete, asphalt, stone or brick, you need to protect yourself every time you perform these tasks.
Silicosis is a progressive lung disease (there is no reversing the effects) that causes scarring and inflammation in the lungs. Symptoms can include coughing, sometimes with sputum, chest pains, fatigue, blue lips, fever, fluid in the lungs and shortness of breath, especially with exercise or other forms of exertion. There is no cure or treatment for silicosis. The only possible solution is a lung transplant.
Other health effects and complications can be lung infections such as tuberculosis, heart failure, lung cancer and respiratory insufficiency.
The good news is silicosis is completely preventable if you take the necessary precautions to protect yourself. The following are some examples of how you can protect yourself from getting silicosis. Even if you have been exposed before, you can prevent further damage by taking these steps.
Engineering controls
- Use local exhaust ventilation
- Use enclosures to isolate dusty work processes
- Use water sprays or blasting cabinets
- Use wet methods that apply water to dusty areas
- Use vacuum tools with HEPA filters
Wet methods
- Use wet-cutting systems that minimize dry dust
- Apply water-based products to roads and around well sites
Personal protective equipment
- Wear a respirator approved for protection against crystalline silica-containing dust
- Use a NIOSH-approved N95 respirator
- Use a full facepiece respirator if the silica level is high
- Use a powered air-purifying respirator
Other safety practices
- Avoid dry sweeping or using compressed air
- Do not eat, drink or use tobacco products in dusty areas
- Wash hands and face before eating, drinking, or smoking outside dusty areas
- Change into disposable or washable work clothes at the work site
- Shower and change into clean clothes before leaving the work site
These protective measures can make working with silica dust safe, and this is the bottom line with all types of hazards. Slowly being robbed of your breath is no way anyone should live, so take a deep breath and follow the proper safety protocols to ensure you are not a victim of silica dust.
If you feel you may be suffering from the effects of silica dust, you should make an appointment with a pulmonologist and get checked out. You can at least stop the progression of the disease if you're suffering from exposure.
