Silica dust



Silica dust is a leading cause of the lung disease silicosis and occupational lung cancer. It is created by work processes such as mining, quarrying, or tunnelling or cutting, crushing or grinding of silica-containing materials such as concrete, bricks, or rocks. Almost 70% of workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica across the EU work in the construction sector. The Commission’s proposals include adding respirable crystalline silica, as a “process generated” substance, to the directive.


In the UK in 2014, academics at the University of Stirling called on the HSE to tighten the control limits for exposure to silica dust, because it is putting at risk the lives of hundreds of thousands of workers. They said that crystalline silica is second only to asbestos as a cause of occupational cancer deaths, and that exposure to it can also cause illnesses including silicosis, tuberculosis, kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and arthritis.



Silica dust currently has a workplace exposure limit of 0.1 milligrams per cubic metre assigned to it, but the US safety regulator Occupational Safety and Health Administration has argued in favour of cutting the limit by half. The Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety Research Group at Stirling University wants this in the UK but the HSE argues that it is not practical or achievable to consistently and reliably measure real workplace samples of respirable crystalline silica to significantly lower levels.