Health and safety regulations require employers to carry out an assessment of the risks to the health from hazardous substances present in the workplace. A suitable and sufficient risk assessment is required wherever exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is likely to occur.
Where there are five or more employees a written copy of the risk assessment should be provided and employees should always be informed of any significant findings from the assessment process.
Understanding when employees and others may be exposed to RCS dust is important when conducting a risk assessment. All potential sources of exposure should be identified as well as who is likely to be exposed, and for how long.
Occupational exposure to (RCS) can occur in many industries including construction, quarrying and manufacturing. Certain activities such as cutting, sanding, abrading, crushing and sweeping are associated with higher levels of dust. Silica is only a risk once it forms fine respirable dust. In general terms, the greater the level of dust in air, the higher the risk.
High dust levels are generally associated with the use of high energy tools, such as cut-off saws, grinders, wall chasers and grit blasters that can produce a lot of dust in a very short time.
Dry sweeping will also generate high dust levels in contrast to vacuuming or wet cleaning that help to keep dust levels to a minimum. High efficiency filters should be used when using vacuum cleaners to prevent harmful respirable dust from re-entering the work space.
Although dust levels are more likely to build up in an enclosed space, it is wrong to assume that levels will always be low when working outside. As stone cutting saws can result in very high levels of dust being generated, they should only be used with water suppression in line with manufacturer’s recommendations.
The longer the time dust is created the more dust there will be.
Further information on how to conduct a risk assessment is available within the HSE publication A step by step guide to COSHH assessment.
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