Large quantities of silica dust can be generated during cutting and can become entrained in the ventilating air, which can carry the dust to the breathing zones of mine workers.įind out more about Howden Mine Ventilation Miners often extract high-silica-content rock from the coal seam or the surrounding strata.

These very fine particles of the crystalline silica are now released into the air becoming respirable dust.Ĭommon scenarios where people may be exposed to respirable crystalline silica dust include abrasive blasting, mining and excavating, cement, steel and ceramic production, and many many more. Respirable crystalline silica is the dust that is released from the silica-containing materials during high-energy operations such as sawing, cutting, drilling, sanding, chipping, crushing, or grinding.

What Is Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS)? It is when it’s disturbed that the crystalline silica becomes one of the most common workplace hazards. Left within its material, silica is safe. Therefore silica is found widespread across the mining, construction, and engineering sectors all throughout the world. Silica is also present during many common construction tasks such as excavating, mining, quarrying, and tunnelling. These materials are the fundamental building blocks used to make building and landscaping materials such as bricks, tiles, roof slate, concrete, glass, ceramics and some plastic composites. And it is crystalline silica that causes all the trouble.Ĭrystalline silica is one of the most abundant minerals on earth, found in numerous naturally occurring materials such as rock, sand, stone, clay, and gravel. It comes in two forms hazardous crystalline, or non-hazardous amorphous.

To get scientific about it ‘silica’ is a chemical compound formed from silicon and oxygen atoms. Respirable crystalline silica dust is one such killer - and with more than 2 million workers being exposed to silica dust every year in the workplace it is vital that everyone involved understands the risks and what can be done to prevent irreparable harm. It’s only a little bit of dust, it can’t hurt me.Īs a miner, construction worker, or oil & gas engineer you might be handling seriously heavy machinery and equipment day in and day out, so a little bit of dust may seem trivial.īut construction dust is much more than just a nuisance - it can seriously affect your health and certain types over time can even kill.

Silica powder