The most “at-risk of overexposure” industries are listed as the following: Regarded as a known human carcinogen by the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization, crystalline silica can be eliminated in workplaces when you enlist the services of an accredited laboratory for accurate testing. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Overexposure can eventually lead to more than just airway diseases and include effects like: The dangers of overexposure of silica extend beyond just lung disease, however. Over time, these workers can develop debilitating and disabling lung diseases. Workers within exposed environments can suffer from both acute and chronic diseases. Inhaling and breathing in silica dust can cause several health issues when effective dust control measures are not properly implemented. What Happens If I’m Overexposed to Crystalline Silica? Grinding, drilling, cutting, sawing or crushing rock.Common activities that can create these harmful dust particles include: When it comes to processes that can include the generation and exposure of crystalline silica, it can be seen in making products such as:Īs a general rule of thumb, high-energy operations within the industrial and construction realms often generate very small particles of crystalline silica, thus making it respirable.įor a mineral to be respirable, simply means that particles are nearly 100 times smaller than sand and can be easily inhaled. The prevalence of this mineral can be seen in many materials that are naturally-occurring as well. To properly understand the dangers of respirable crystalline silica, it’s important to understand what exactly this mineral is.įirstly, crystalline silica, a common mineral found within the earth’s crust, is used most commonly in both industrial products and construction sites. In this post, we go over what crystalline silica is, where it can be found, the harmful effects of overexposure and how to test for crystalline silica within the workplace. Because the health effects and the type of impact this type of exposure can lead to, it’s important to know and understand the necessity of respirable crystalline silica testing. Silicosis, most closely associated with the exposure and inhalation of respirable crystalline silica, exacerbates difficulties with breathing and can lead to disability and, in worse cases, death.Īccording to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), roughly 2.3 million workers are in contact and exposed to crystalline silica while on the job. Incurable but preventable, silicosis is a lung disease that affects the population world-wide.
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