7 Facts Your Employees Need To Know About Silica Dust

Silica safety requirements are a big deal. There are many reasons why OSHA is cracking down on these standards, and it’s important that your employees understand why silica safety is important. Share these 7 facts your employees need to know about silica dust so that silica dust exposure can become a problem of the past.

1. Each year, dozens of American workers die from silica dust exposure.

Though the number of deaths caused by silica dust has greatly declined in the past 50 years, the risk hasn’t yet been eliminated. In 2010, there were 101 fatalities due to respirable crystalline silica dust exposure (source).

2. Symptoms of silicosis can take months or years to appear.

Some workers with intense exposure to silica dust can show symptoms of silicosis in less than a year. For many, though, symptoms of silicosis won’t appear until after many years of exposure (source).

3. Small amounts of exposure over extended periods of time can still have harmful effects.

Silica dust can be harmful in large doses or in small quantities over a very long period of time. That’s why it’s so important to regulate the exposure at all times—to prevent the escalation of these small exposures and the eventual risk of disease.

4. You should use water, not air, to clean areas with silica dust.

Water keeps the silica from becoming respirable particles in the air. Dry sweeping, using fans, and blowing compressed air in an area with silica dust increases the amount of dust particles in the air and should be avoided.

5. Isolation and ventilation are key to reducing exposure.

Besides using water, other great ways to reduce silica dust exposure in the workplace are to isolate the dust and ventilate the area. By using exhaust fans and only working with silica-containing materials in confined areas, the dust can’t spread through the workplace into areas without safety precautions.

6. Employers must offer free medical exams to employees who are exposed to certain levels of silica dust

If the Table 1 standards require an employee to wear a respirator for 30 or more days per year, the employer must be offer medical exams every 3 years per OSHA requirements. (source).

7. There is no cure for silicosis.

Silica dust exposure can cause permanent damage and can even result in death. There is no known cure for silicosis, so the best option is to take preventative measures to avoid harm.