Inhalable dust, respirable dust and Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS / Silica Dust) remains an important risk factor for respiratory disease amongst construction workers.
The following information has been compiled in order to address some of the queries that arise on the topic of silica dust management.
In recent years it has been proven that Respirable Silica Dust (RCS) is a material that, when inhaled, cannot be expelled from the human lung and causes irreparable scarring of lung tissue and permanent loss of lung capacity and resulting in a medical condition referred to as ‘silicosis’.
There is no cure for, and no recovery from, silicosis.
Exposure to RCS also involves the risk of lung cancer and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
There is no cure for COPD.
It's a very small size compared to other dust. RCS dust is less than 1 micron (1 um) and is not visible to the naked eye under normal lighting due to its extremely small size. For comparison, the diameter of human hair ranges from 17 – 180 um, and 1 um = 1 millionth of a metre.
Where silica dust is present above the standard every employer has an obligation to:
There are 2 classes of vacuum that can be used for collection of silica dust at the source - H & M.
H Class are the superior of the two, however sometimes these units aren't available or not practical for use on site.
M Class have been deemed sufficient, and are suited to site with tool attachments. However, it's important that the right M class vacuum is chosen, with disposable bags so that silica dust can be disposed of safely.
| RCS | Respirable Crystalline Silica; Silica Dust |
| OEL OES WES | Occupational Exposure Level Occupational Exposure Standard Workplace Exposure Standard These three terms, and the respective acronyms, refer to the maximum contaminant level that a person can be exposed to in an 8 hour period. However where the shift length exceeds 8 hours, or where the working week is longer than 40 hours, the exposure standard may need to be adjusted to compensate for greater exposure and less recovery time. The WES in Australia is currently 0.1mg/1.0m3, however it is a legal requirement to apply control measures as for the full WES once airborne particulate levels reach 50% of the WES, in this case when readings reach 0.05mg/1.0m3. In this document we will use WES as the inclusive term for OEL, OES and WES. |
| RPE | Respiratory Protective Equipment |
| PAPR | Powered Air Purifying Respirators |
| ‘H’ Class Vacuum | ‘H’ Class vacuum cleaners are for use with dust representing a high risk. The vacuum cleaner filter traps over 99.995 % of dust with a grain size of under 1 micron (it includes carcinogenic dusts and dusts contaminated with carcinogens and/or pathogens). Additionally ‘H’ Class units include a hepa-filter in the exhaust air circuit. |
| ‘M’ Class Vacuum | ‘M’ Class vacuum cleaners are for use with dust representing a medium risk. The vacuum cleaner filter traps over 99.9 % of dust with a grain size of under 2 microns. |
| 1 micron | 1 micron (um) = one millionth of a metre. The diameter of human hair ranges from 17 – 180 um. |
| COPD | COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is a long-term disease of the lungs which causes shortness of breath. COPD is an umbrella term for conditions including emphysema, chronic bronchitis and chronic asthma which is irreversible. There is no cure for COPD. |
Within the Toolbox and Document Library.
You can also contact our National Health & Safety Manager, Danny O'Reilly on +61 408 920 496 or danny.oreilly@hutchinsonbuilders.com.au for more information.
