Occupational Safety and Health Administration

TOPIC. TYPE. LANGUAGES. Your search for Silica: Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for General Industry and Maritime has returned the following results. Silica: Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for General Industry and Maritime. (OSHA 3911 - 2023) (English: PDF )

What is Silica and Why is it Dangerous?

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. One of the dangerous effects of silica exposure is a disease called silicosis, which can be contracted after just a few months of high ...

SILICA DUST, CRYSTALLINE, IN THE FORM OF QUARTZ OR CRISTOBALITE

A small cohort study among Icelandic diatomaceous earth workers (Rafnsson & Gunnarsdóttir, 1997) provided findings that supported an effect of crystalline silica on lung cancer risk (SIR, 2.34; 95%CI: 0.48–6.85 for those who had worked 5 or more years). Smoking habits among the workers were reported to be similar to the general population ...

Silica

Silica is one of the most common hazards on a worksite, particularly in the construction, oil and gas, manufacturing, and agriculture industries. Silica dust can cause silicosis, a serious and irreversible lung disease. It can also cause lung cancer. Cutting, breaking, crushing, drilling, grinding, or blasting concrete or stone releases the dust.

Frequently Asked Questions

It only takes a very small amount of the very fine respirable silica dust to create a health hazard. Recognizing that very small, respirable silica particles are hazardous, OSHA regulation 29 CFR 1926.55 (a) requires construction employers to keep worker exposures at or below a Permissible Exposure Level (PEL) of 50 µg/m3.

Silicosis

Crystalline silica is a mineral commonly known as quartz, present in granite and sandstone. [1] In contrast to the random orientation of molecules in amorphous silica, crystalline silica exhibits a fixed, repeating, polymerized silicon-oxygen tetrahedral framework. Crystalline silica exists in various forms, including α-quartz, β-quartz, α ...

Small Entity Compliance Guide

Respirable crystalline silica – very small . particles typically at least 100 times smaller . than ordinary sand found on beaches or playgrounds – is generated by high-energy operations like cutting, sawing, grinding, drilling and …

Silica

Respirable dust means the dust particles are small enough to reach the bottom parts of your lungs if you breathe them in. ... The Respirable Crystalline Silica standard, WAC 296-840, describes the requirements in place to keep workers safe from silica. This rule applies when an employee exposure to respirable crystalline silica is over the ...

Early Identification, Accurate Diagnosis, and Treatment of …

Silica particles are defined as "respirable" when they are less than 5 μm in diameter, which is small enough to reach the distal airways and alveoli . Furthermore, crystalline silica particles are the leading cause of occupational respiratory disease and are generally considered more toxic than amorphous silica particles [ 3 ].

1926.1153

1926.1153 (a) Scope and application. This section applies to all occupational exposures to respirable crystalline silica in construction work, except where employee exposure will remain below 25 micrograms per cubic meter of air (25 μg/m 3) as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) under any foreseeable conditions. 1926.1153 (b) Definitions.

Silicosis: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention

Over time, silica can build up in your lungs and breathing passages. This leads to scarring that makes it hard to breathe. There are three types: Acute: Symptoms happen a few weeks up to 2 years ...

SILICA (CRYSTALLINE)

SILICA (CRYSTALLINE) BACKGROUND Crystalline silica is a common mineral in sand, quartz and granite. Quartz is the most common type of crystalline silica. Inhalation of respirable crystalline silica (very small particles) can cause silicosis, a disabling, dust-related lung disease. Depending on the length of exposure, silicosis is

Crystalline Silica: Tools and Resources | NIOSH | CDC

Resources for Silica in Industry. Construction. Dentistry. Mining. Oil and Gas Extraction. Manufacturing. Last Reviewed: July 11, 2023. Source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. This NIOSH Topic Page presents information and links to other resources about Silica and Silicosis, and provides information to help workers ...

RESPIRABLE CRYSTALLI NE SILICA: EMPLOYEE SAFETY …

Respirable Crystalline Silica Employee Safety Training 1 This training is intended for employees that are exposed to respirable crystalline silica in their jobs. Slide 2 Disclaimer This material was produced under grant number SH05047SH8 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor.

Biomonitoring Exposure and Early Diagnosis in Silicosis: A

1. Introduction. Silicosis is a collagenous pneumoconiosis caused by long-term exposure to crystalline silica-rich dust. More precisely, silicosis is a type of pulmonary fibrosis caused by inhaled silica particles [].For crystalline silica particles to be biologically active, they must be small enough ("respirable") to reach the distal airways and alveoli; [] …

Worker Exposure to Silica during Countertop …

levels of very small, crystalline silica dust particles into the air that workers breathe. Working with ground quartz in the countertop manufacturing industry can also expose workers to dangerous silica dust. How much silica is in countertop material? Depending on the type of stone in question, countertops may contain over 90% silica.

Crystalline Silica | EHS

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 dust particles at least 100 times smaller than ordinary sand ...

Risk Assessment of Occupational Exposure to Crystalline Silica in Small

Results: Geometric means of occupational exposure to crystalline silica in 4 different casting processes were studied within the range of 0.009-0.04 mg/m (3). Mortality rate due to silicosis was in the range of 1-13.7 per 1000 persons exposed. Risk of mortality due to lung cancer in exposed workers in small casting workshops in Pakdasht, Iran ...

Silica

small crystalline silica particles for a long time (typically years) can develop silicosis, a serious lung disease. Crystalline silica is the only compound thatcauses silicosis. Studies in workers have also documented that silica can cause . …

Crystalline Silica in Air & Water, and Health …

MDH completed a review of breathable (respirable) crystalline silica and released an air quality chronic health-based value (HBV) of 3 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m 3) in July 2013. MDH …

Inhaling Silica Dust Can Cause Deadly Lung Disease

When workers cut, grind, drill, or polish these materials, very small particles of crystalline silica dust get in the air. Breathing in these very small (respirable) crystalline silica particles can cause irreversible scarring in the lungs, trouble breathing, permanent disability, and death. Crystalline silica dust can also cause lung cancer ...

Respirable Crystalline Silica Fact Sheet | Environmental …

Respirable Crystalline Silica Crystalline silica is commonly found in sand, rock, concrete, brick, mortar, porcelain, ceramic, plaster and many other products. When these materials are manipulated in such a way that they create dust, some fraction of that dust may include particles small enough to become respirable.

Crystalline Silica | NIOSH | CDC

Learn about crystalline silica (quartz dust), which can raise your risk of lung cancer. Crystalline silica is present in certain construction materials such as concrete, masonry, and brick and also in commercial …

Safety Awareness: What is Crystalline Silica?

Once crystalline silica is ground into fine dust, it becomes airborne and attains a size small enough for inhalation, approximately 100 times smaller than natural sand particles. This form is known as respirable crystalline silica (RCS), and it represents a health hazard .

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Silica, Crystalline. OSHA's Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for General Industry and Maritime Fact Sheet. (OSHA FS 3682 - 2018) (English: PDF ) (OSHA FS 3701 - 2023) (Español: PDF ) Silica: Controlling Silica Dust in Construction - Crushing Machines Fact Sheet. (OSHA FS 3935 - 2017) (English: PDF )

Silica, Crystalline

Protect workers from respirable crystalline silica exposures above the permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 50 µg/m 3, averaged over an 8-hour day; ... Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for General Industry and Maritime . Discusses suggested engineering and work practice controls, exposure …

Synthetic amorphous silica nanoparticles: toxicity, biomedical …

Silica is by far the most abundant component of the Earth's crust 1, most often found as crystalline quartz composed of SiO 4 tetrahedra organized into periodic, hexagonal 6-membered rings via ...

Silicosis: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment

Silicosis is a lung disease caused by inhaling very tiny crystalline particles of silicon dioxide, or silica. If you have it, you'll have symptoms of coughing, inflammation (swelling) and fibrosis (scarring). Those three symptoms identify a group of diseases called pneumoconioses. These diseases, caused by dust inhalation, are often described ...

OSHA's Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for …

Crystalline silica is a common mineral that is found in construction materials such as sand, stone, concrete, brick, and mortar. When workers cut, grind, drill, or crush materials that contain crystalline silica, very small dust particles are created. These tiny particles (known as "respirable" particles) can travel deep into workers ...

Crystalline Silica: Tools and Resources | NIOSH | CDC

Silica, Crystalline Topic Page; A Guide To Working Safely With Silica: If It's Not Just Dust ; Frequently Asked Questions: Respirable Crystalline Silica Rule; Helping …

Workers Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica: Final …

Respirable crystalline silica is particularly hazardous for the nation's workers. Workers who inhale very small crystalline silica particles are at increased risk of developing serious — and often deadly — silica-related diseases. These tiny particles (known as "respirable" particles) can penetrate deep into workers' lungs and cause ...

Crystalline Silica in Air & Water, and Health Effects

Silica occurs in either a crystalline or an amorphous structure. Over many years, silica in the soil can form into crystalline silica due to natural heat and pressure. Crystalline silica is very …

Silica | ToxFAQs™ | ATSDR

Many studies in workers have looked into possible relationships between crystalline silica exposure and harmful health effects. These studies show that workers breathing small crystalline silica particles for a long time (typically years) can develop silicosis, a serious lung disease. Crystalline silica is the only compound that causes silicosis.

Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Respirable …

This guide is intended to help small businesses understand and comply with the Occupational . Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Respirable Crystalline Silica …