Reducing the Exposure to Crystalline Silica in the workplace with Air quality Monitoring
Respirable Silica Dust in the Workplace – An Occupational Hazard
Silica is one of the most abundant minerals found in the earth’s crust and used across many products across a variety of industries. Respirable crystalline silica is created by certain processes when working with materials that contain silica. It is most harmful when it is airborne and inhaled by a worker.
If a worker is exposed to silica dust for a prolonged period it can cause multiple diseases, including silicosis, an incurable lung disease that can lead to disability and even death.
Silica dust is 100 times smaller than a grain of sand, so a worker might be breathing it in without realising it. Some work activities that generate respirable silica dust particles are:
Fabrication and installation of composite stone countertops
Construction activities
Mining, quarrying, and mineral ore treating process
The good news is, silicosis and the exposure to crystalline silica is preventable by taking the appropriate control measures.
The Stonemason’s Code in Preventing Crystalline Silica Exposure
Rising demand for stone benchtops has resulted in an increase in stonemasons contracting this incurable and aggressive lung disease. With engineered stone and natural stone containing up to 90% silica, there is a need to set national control measures to manage risks and prevent stonemasons’ exposure to silica.
On 1st July 2020, Safe Work Australia has reduced the exposure standard for respirable crystalline silica dust from an eight-hour time-weighted average of 0.1 mg/m3 to 0.05 mg/m3. Click here for more information from Safe Work Australia.
Employers must ensure worker exposure to silica exposure remains as low as reasonably practicable. Air monitoring must be conducted if there is any uncertainty that the exposure standard is being exceeded or to investigate if there is a risk to a worker’s health.
Employing prevention and control measures can help reduce the risk of silica exposure, but there is no guarantee how long these methods will be effective for. The best way to achieve a safe work environment is by consistent and continuous monitoring of exposure levels.
Air Monitoring as a New Method of Measuring Crystalline Silica Exposure in the Workplace
The current Code of Practice for Managing respirable crystalline silica dust exposure in the stone benchtop industry (2019) outlines you must know the airborne concentration of dust within a workers environment to ensure exposure levels are not exceeded. One of the methodologies mentioned to identify this accurately is by undertaking air sampling.
There are various ways you can conduct air sampling, including using air sampling pumps, dust monitors and area sampling pumps.Air sampling is a great way of assessing the risk to workers because it can show:
The amount of crystalline silica dust the worker is exposed to
The products or processes that are the source of the exposure
Helps to determine the appropriate control strategy
Measuring Silica with Gravimetric Sampling and Real-Time Dust Monitoring
Commonly carried out using a sample pump such as the SKC AirChek Essential and cyclones, gravimetric methods of sampling and analysis are commonly used to measure airborne particulate matter including respirable silica in workplace settings. Using a sampling pump, airborne particles are collected on a filter housed in a size-selective cyclone such as the SKC Respirable Dust Cyclone.
The respirable particles are collected on the filter and can then be sent to the lab for analysis for both respirable dust concentration and RCS (respirable crystalline silica) concentration while the larger particles fall into the grit pot on the cyclone and are discarded.
Real-Time Dust Monitors such as the AirMetER-DX 2-Fraction Optical Particle Counter can provide real-time monitoring to provide immediate information on dust levels. The AirMetER-DX is a low-maintenance dust monitor which is designed and manufactured in-house. It can be seamlessly integrated with Air-Met Scientific’s web portal for remote data access.
The advantage of using a real-time dust monitor over an air sampling pump is you can receive accurate reporting and instant validation to engineered controls. Due to environmental and workplace task variability repeated sampling might be required while using a sampling pump to gain a better idea of exposure. A dust monitor can provide real-time readings and provide a shorter and less expensive path to compliance.
Air-Met Scientific offers a range of air sampling pumps and real-time dust monitors for sale or for rent. To learn more contact Air-Met Scientific on 1800 000 744 to speak to one of our friendly representatives.
