Health and Safety Executive Health and Safety Executive Gaynor Guthrie Medical Inspector Silica...
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Transcript of Health and Safety Executive Health and Safety Executive Gaynor Guthrie Medical Inspector Silica...
Health and Safety Executive
Health and Safety Executive
Gaynor Guthrie
Medical Inspector
Silica Dust:
You Are More At Risk Than You May Think
“It’s only dust you know!”
What is the Problem?
Why is it a Problem?
• Particles need to be “respirable” to cause harm
• Issue is Respirable Crystalline Silica or RCS
• RCS particles can penetrate to deep lung
Why is it a Problem?• A micron is one millionth of a meter. • Human hair varies between 40 to 100 m thick. • Respirable dust = 10 m or less
Silicosis
• ?10 to 20% construction workers exposed
• Silicosis usually follows at least 10 years of exposure to RCS
• It causes stiffening and scarring of the lungs. Nodules visible on X-Ray
• Symptoms are coughing and breathlessness
• Progressive, even after exposure stops
Silicosis
Irreversible
• Increased risk of Tuberculosis (TB)
• After 15 years of exposure to RCS at the WEL of 0.1mg/m3, the risk of developing silicosis is 1 in 40
• Silicosis is under-reported.
Normal chest X-Ray
Tuberculosis
Lung cancer
• There is an association between silicosis and lung cancer
• Over 500 silica related lung cancer deaths in construction in 2004 – Over 10 a week
• Silica is the second most important cause of occupational lung cancer after asbestos
Lung cancer
Lung cancer
Second commonest cancer in men after prostate
Symptoms: cough (phlegm and blood), pain on breathing or coughing, shortness of breath, weight loss
Only 7% men survive 5 years after diagnosis
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Persistent obstruction of airflow into lungs
• Irreversible (unlike asthma)
• Progressive
• Main cause is smoking
• Silica exposure associated with COPD
• Construction workers 2 to 3 times risk
• Symptoms: breathlessness, cough with phlegm
Health Surveillance
• G404 Health surveillance for RCS
• Use a health professional
• Risk based
• Symptom enquiry (COPD, TB)
• Lung function test
• Chest X-Ray
How Much is a Problem?
COSHH sets WEL for dust:
General Dust
• 10 mg.m-3 (inhalable)
• 4 mg.m-3 (respirable)
Respirable Silica
• 0.1 mg.m-3 (8-hour TWA)