Is silica harmful to humans?
Breathing crystalline silica dust can cause silicosis, which in severe cases can be disabling, or even fatal. When silica dust enters the lungs, it causes the formation of scar tissue, which makes it difficult for the lungs to take in oxygen. There is no cure for silicosis.
How can I safely use silica?
The workplace exposure standard for respirable crystalline silica (silica dust) that must not be exceeded is 0.05 mg/m3 (eight-hour time weighted average). PCBUs should keep worker exposure to silica dust as low as reasonably practicable.
What is silica safety?
Crystalline silica has been classified as a human lung carcinogen, and can cause serious lung disease and lung cancer. It only takes a very small amount of respirable silica dust to create a health hazard.
What is the OSHA standard for silica?
About two million construction workers are exposed to respirable crystalline silica in over 600,000 workplaces. What Does the Standard Require? The standard (29 CFR 1926.1153) requires employers to limit worker exposures to respirable crystalline silica and to take other steps to protect workers.
Is silica a carcinogen?
In 1987 the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified crystalline silica (CS) as a probable carcinogen and in 1997 reclassified it as a Group 1 carcinogen, i.e., that there was sufficient evidence for carcinogenicity in experimental animals and sufficient evidence for carcinogenicity in humans.
What is worse silica or asbestos?
The Asbestos Illness Team at Hugh James in Cardiff, Wales, have investigated crystalline silica exposure, and when asked whether the substance is as dangerous as asbestos, they answered no. Crystalline silica is harmful but will only impact certain individuals with very specific job roles and exposure levels.
Is silica a hazardous chemical?
Crystalline silica (quartz) is not known to be an environmental hazard. Crystalline silica (quartz) is incompatible with hydrofluoric acid, fluorine, chlorine trifluoride or oxygen difluoride. This material is considered hazardous under the OSHA Hazard Communications Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200).
How do I protect myself from silica dust?
Water can keep silica dust out of the air – and out of your lungs. Use tools with water attachments to control dust at the source. Water can also keep dust down during activities like sweeping and demolition. Use tools with vacuum attachments to capture the dust right where it starts.
Does N95 mask protect against silica?
The following describes the NIOSH policy for respiratory protection against airborne exposures to crystalline silica. NIOSH recommends the use of half-facepiece particulate respirators with N95 or better filters for airborne exposures to crystalline silica at concentrations less than or equal to 0.5 mg/m3.
Can you get silicosis after one exposure?
It is possible to get silicosis from one exposure to a massive concentration of crystalline silica dust without a respirator. This condition is the rarest form of the disease and is called acute silicosis.
Can silica damage your kidneys?
Silica dust particles are tiny, over 100 times smaller than the sand you see on the beaches. If you are exposed to silica dust in the workplace, this can cause many chronic health problems including kidney damage and kidney failure. The more you are exposed, the greater the risk.