Silica dust is a significant health hazard for workers . Very small particles of silica dust cannot be seen under normal lighting or with the naked eye and stay airborne for long periods of time . When airborne , workers can easily inhale the small silica dust particles deep into their lungs where it can lead to a range of respiratory diseases , including :
− silicosis − progressive massive fibrosis − chronic obstructive pulmonary disease − chronic bronchitis , and − lung cancer .
Silica dust also increases the risk of developing chronic kidney disease , autoimmune disorders ( such as scleroderma and systemic lupus erythematosus ) and other adverse health effects , including an increased risk of activating latent tuberculosis , eye irritation and eye damage .
Silicosis
Silicosis is a serious , irreversible lung disease that causes permanent disability and can be fatal . Silica dust can be breathed deep into the lungs and , when silica dust comes into prolonged contact with the lung tissue , it causes inflammation and scarring and reduces the lungs ’ ability to take in oxygen . Silicosis may continue to progress even after a worker is removed from exposure to silica dust . As the disease progresses , a worker may experience shortness of breath , a severe cough or general weakness . There are three types of silicosis ( Table 2 ).
Table 2 . Types of silicosis .
Silicosis type Exposure type Respiratory impact of exposure
Acute
Can develop after short-term and very high levels of silica dust ( for example less than one year , and after a few weeks ).
Causes severe inflammation and protein in the lung .
Accelerated
Results from short term exposure to large amounts of silica dust ( 1 to 10 years of exposure ).
Causes inflammation , and protein and scarring in the lung ( fibrotic nodules ).
Chronic
Results from long term exposure ( over 10 years of exposure ) to low levels of silica dust .
Causes scarring of the lung and shortness of breath .
Damage to the lungs from silica dust and symptoms of disease ( such as lung cancer , silicosis and progressive massive fibrosis ) may not appear for many years . Workers may not show any symptoms , even at the point of initial diagnosis , which is why prevention and health monitoring are critical . Health monitoring requirements for workers who work with engineered stone are detailed in Part 3.3 of this Code .
Managing the risks of respirable crystalline silica from engineered stone in the workplace - Code of Practice 8 of 57