\f

U.S. Department of Labor

National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health

Hotline

1-800-35-NIOSH

A Message from the Secretary of Labor

To Concerned Workers and Employers:

Everyyear, more than 250 workers in the United States die with silicosis, an incurable, progressive lung disease caused by overexposure to dustcontaining silica. Hundreds more become disabled by this disease. Every one of these cases is an unnecessary tragedy, because silicosis is absolutely preventable. Ifyou work, oryou are an employer, in one of the dozens ofindustries where dust containing silica is present, you need to know how to prevent this disease. This guide a cooperative effort between the Department ofLabor and the National Institutefor Occupational Safety and Health in the Department of Health and Human Services explains howyou can protectyourselfand others each day on the job. Sixtyyears ago, Labor Secretary Frances Perkins launched a nationwide effort to prevent silicosis. Great strides were made during this time period; however, there is still work to bedone. I am determined tofinish the job she started by working with labor, industry, and

health professionals to put an end to this lung disease, once andfor all.
Sincerely,

Robert B. Reich

What Do You Need to Know about Silicosis?

What is silicosis?

Silicosis is a disabling, nonreversible and sometimes fatal lung disease caused by over

exposure to respirable crystalline silica. Silica is

the second most common mineral in the earth's

crust and is a major componentof sand, rockand

mineral ores. Overexposure to dust that contains microscopic particles of crystalline silica can
cause scartissue to form in the lungs, which

reduces the lungs' ability to extract oxygen from the air we breathe. Typical sand found at the beach does not pose a silicosis threat. Each year, more than 250 American workers
die with silicosis. More than 1 million U.S. work

ers are exposed to crystalline silica. There is no

cure for the disease, but it is 100 percent pre

ventable if employers, workers and health profes sionals work together to reduce exposures. In addition to silicosis, inhalation of crystal
line silica particles has been associated with other
diseases, such as bronchitis and tuberculosis.
Some studies also indicate an association with

lung cancer.

There are three types of silicosis, depending upon the airborne concentration of crystalline silica to which a worker has been exposed:
Chronic silicosis usually occurs after 10 or more years of overexposure.

Accelerated silicosis results from higher expo sures and develops over 5-10 years.
Acute silicosis occurs where exposures are the highest and can cause symptoms to develop within a few weeks or up to 5 years.

How do you know if you are at risk? Working in any dusty environment where crystalline silica is present potentially can in crease your chances of getting silicosis. If a num ber of workers are working in a dusty environ ment and one is diagnosed with silicosis, the others should be examined to see if they might also be developing silicosis.

What Are the Symptoms & Complications of Silicosis?

Chronic silicosis, the most common form of

the disease, may go undetected for years in the early stages; in fact, a chest X-ray may not reveal an abnormality until after 15 or 20 years of exposure. The body's ability to fight infections may be overwhelmed by silica dust in the lungs, making workers more susceptible to certain
illnesses, such as tuberculosis. As silicosis

progresses, you may exhibit one or more of the following symptoms: shortness of breath following physical
exertion

severe cough fatigue loss of appetite chest pains

fever

How can you determine if you have

silicosis?

If you believe you are overexposed to silica dust, visit a doctor who knows about lung
diseases. A medical examination that includes a

complete work history, a chest X-ray, and lung function test is the only sure way to determine if

you have silicosis. NIOSH recommends that medical examinations occur before job placement or upon entering a trade, and at least every 3 years thereafter.

Where Do You Find Silica Dust?

Here are some examples of the industries and activities that pose the greatest potential risk for
worker exposure: construction (sandblasting, rock drilling,

masonry work, jackhammering, tunnel ing) mining (cutting or drilling through sand stone and granite) foundry work (grinding, moldings,
shakeout, core room)

ceramics, clay, and pottery stone cutting (sawing, abrasive blasting, chipping, grinding) glass manufacturing agriculture shipyards (abrasive blasting) railroad (setting and laying track) manufacturing and use of abrasives manufacturing of soaps and detergents
More than 100,000 workers in the United

States encounter high-risk, silica exposures through sandblasting, rock drilling and mining. Workers who remove paint and rust from build ings, bridges, tanks and other surfaces; clean foundry castings; work with stone or clay; etch or frost glass; and work in construction are at risk of
overexposure to crystalline silica.

 Install and maintain engineering con

trols to eliminate or reduce the amount of

silica in the air and the build-up of dust on equipment and surfaces. Examples of controls
include: exhaust ventilation and dust collec

tion systems, water sprays, wet drilling, enclosed cabs, and drill platform skirts. Prac
tice preventive maintenance because the
extreme abrasiveness of the silica dust can

damage the systems you install.

Substitute less hazardous materials than

crystalline silica for abrasive blasting, when possible. Try to use automatic blast cleaning machines or cabinets that allow operatingthe machines from outside using gloved armholes.

Supply vacuums with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, and advise
employees to vacuum, hose down, or wetsweep work areas, instead of dry sweeping.

Train workers about health effects, engi neering controls and work practices that
reduce dust, the importance of maintenance and good housekeeping, as well as on the proper type and fitting of respirators. Make sure they know what operations and materi als present a silica hazard.

What Can Employers Do

to Prevent Silicosis?
Make a commitment to prevent silicosis at your worksites.

Comply with OSHA and MSHA regula tions on respirable crystalline silica. If your employees are overexposed, reduce exposure levels through the use of engineering controls. While these controls are being installed, or if they are being repaired, provide appropriate
respiratory protection.

Perform air monitoring of worksites as needed, and when required by law, and take
corrective action when silica levels are exces

sive. Monitoring provides a basis for:

selecting and ensuring the effectiveness of engineeringcontrols

selecting proper respiratory protection

seeing if work practices to reduce dust

levels are effective

- determining if a medical surveillance program is necessary.

What OSHA and MSHA

Regulations Apply?
OSHA enforces a permissible exposure limit,

which is the maximum amount of airborne crys talline silica that an employee may be exposed to during an eight-hour work shift. MSHA enforces its own exposure limits, has rules requiring con trols for drills, and requires air samplingin cer
tain situations.

Other relevant OSHA and MSHA regulations include: respiratory protection, posting of warn ing signs, housekeeping, recordkeeping or report ing of occupational illnesses, abrasive blasting, personal protective equipment, and training.
OSHA has rules on hazard communication,

safety and health programs in construction, and access to employee exposure and medical records.

A reminder to both workers and employers:

The American Lung Association recommends quitting smoking for better lung health. Call
1-800-LUNG-USA for more information.

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What Employers
Can Do...

Establish a written respiratory protection

program. Outfit employees with appropri ately selected, properly fitted, approved respirators when engineering controls alone are insufficient to keep exposures within safe levels. Be sure respirators are kept clean and properly maintained and that employees are
trained in their use.

Provide medical examinations for employ ees who may be exposed to respirable crystal line silica, as recommended by NIOSH, and have X-rays read by a specialistin dust dis eases. Develop a plan for reducing exposures of employees whose X-rays show changes
consistent with silicosis.

Report all cases of silicosis to state health departments and to MSHA, and record cases on OSHA logs, as required. Post warning signs to identify work areas where respirable silica is present.

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 Participate in air monitoring, medical surveillance, and training programs offered by your employer or when required by law.

Talk to your employer, employee represen tative, or union if you are concerned about
the dust in your workplace. Ask for the re sults of air sampling done at your worksite. You may also contact the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or the Mine Safety and Health Administra tion (MSHA). See pages 12-19 for phone
numbers.

As a reminder, wheneveryou work with toxic materials, it is always a sound practice to:

Change into disposable or washable work clothes at your worksite, if possible; shower, where available; and change into clean cloth ing before leaving your worksite.
Avoid eating, drinking, or using tobacco products in work areas where there is dust or
other toxic materials.

Wash your hands and face before eatingor

drinking.

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What Can Workers Do to Prevent Silicosis?

Work with your employer to prevent silicosis at your worksite. Use engineering controls installed by your employer to reduce silica dust levels, and make sure they are properly maintained. Tell your employer when they aren'tworking properly.

Minimize dust by following good work practices, such as removing dust with a water

hose or vacuum with a high-efficiency par ticulate filter rather than blowing it clean with compressed air, or by wet sweeping instead of dry sweeping. Suggestto your employer to substitute less hazardous materials than crystalline silica for abrasive blasting. / Wear, maintain, and correctly use ap proved particulate respirators when engineer ing controls alone are not adequate to reduce
exposures below permissible levels. Beards

and mustaches interfere with the respirator seal to the face, making most respirators
ineffective.

If you must sandblast, use type CE posi

tive pressure abrasive blasting respirators.

10

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Where Can You Get More

Information on Preventing
Silicosis?
Call 1-800-35-NIOSH. Select option 2, then option 5 for a complete package of information on silicosis prevention.

For free help in establishing or improving your safety and health program, small businesses can contact the OSHA Consultation Program in
their state.

OSHA Consultation Program Directory

State
Alabama
Alaska

Telephone
(205) 348-3033 (907) 269-4957

Arizona
Arkansas

California
Colorado Connecticut Delaware

(602) 542-5795 (501) 682-4522 (415) 972-8515

(970) (860) (302) (202) (904) (404) (671) (808) (208) 491-6151 566-4550 761-8219 576-6339 488-3044 894-2643 475-0136 586-9100 385-3283

District of Columbia
Florida

Georgia
Guam Hawaii

Idaho

12

For compliance assistance or technical sup port in construction, maritime, and general industries, contact the nearest OSHA Regional
Office.

Region I (CT,* MA, ME, NH, RI, VT*) JKF Federal Building
Room E-340

Boston, MA 02203

Telephone: (617) 565-9860

Region II
(NJ, NY,* PR,* VI*)
201 Varick Street Room 670

New York, NY 10014

Telephone: (212) 337-2378

Region III
(DC, DE, MD,* PA, VA,* WV)

Gateway Building, Suite 2100

3535 Market Street

Philadelphia, PA 19104 Telephone: (215)596-1201 Region IV (AL, FL, GA, KY,* MS, NC, SC,* TN*)
1375 Peachtree Street, N.E.
Suite 587

Atlanta, GA 30367

Telephone: (404) 347-3573

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Region DC
(American Samoa, AZ,* CA,* Guam, HI,* NY* Trust Territories of the Pacific)
71 Stevenson Street Room 420

San Francisco, CA 94105

Telephone: (415) 975-4310

Region X
(AK,* ID, OR,* WA*)
1111 Third Avenue Suite 715

Seattle, WA 98101-3212

Telephone: (206) 553-5930

*These states and territories operate their own OSHAapproved job safety and health programs (Connecticut and New York plans cover public employees only). States with approved programs must have a standard that is identical
to, or at least as effective as, the federal standard.

17

OSHA

Region V (IL, IN,* MI,* MN,* OH, WI)

230 South Dearborn Street Room 3244

Chicago, IL 60604 Telephone: (312) 353-2220

Region VI (AR, LA, NM,* OK, TX)
525 Griffin Street Room 602

Dallas, TX 75202

Telephone: (214) 767-4731

Region VII
(IA,* KS, MO, NE) City Center Square
1100 Main Street, Suite 800

Kansas City, MO 64105 Telephone: (816)426-5861 Region VIII

(CO, MT, ND, SD, UT,* WY*)

1999 Broadway, Suite 1690

Denver, CO 80202-5716

Telephone: (303) 844-1600

16

METAL AND NONMEIAL MINING

Northeast District

Cranberry Township, PA
(412) 772-2333
Southeast District

Birmingham, AL
(205) 290-7294
North Central District

Duluth, MN

(218) 720-5448
South Central District

Dallas, TX

(214) 767-8401

Rocky Mountain District

Denver, CO

(303) 231-5465
Western District

Vacaville, CA

(707) 447-9844

MSHA HEADQUARTERS
Health Division (Coal) (703) 235-1358 Health Division (Metal and Nonmetal) (703) 235-8307
19

MSHA

In the mining industry, for compliance assis tance, technical support, educational materials,
or for information about an inspection, contact
the nearest MSHA district office.
COAL MINING
District 1

District 7

Wilkes-Barre, PA

Barbourville, KY

(717) 826-6321
District 2

(606) 546-5123
District 8

Hunker, PA

(412) 925-5150
District 3

Vincennes, IN (812) 882-7617

District 9

Morgantown, WV
(304) 291-4277
District 4

Denver, CO (303) 231-5458

District 10

Mt. Hope, WV
(304) 877-3900
District 5

Madisonville, KY

(502) 821-4180
District 11

Norton, VA

Birmingham, AL
(205) 290-7300

(540) 679-0230
District 6

Pikeville, ICY

(606) 432-0944

18

Silicosis Prevention Partners

IfIt's Silica, It's Not fust Dust, the campaign to end silicosis, is a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Mine Safety Administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA's mission is to protect the health and safety of workers in the nation's 6 million workplaces and reduce workplace hazards through common sense at work.

Mine Safety and Health Administration MSHA enforces safety and health standards to protect miners from work-related injuries, illnesses, and death at all U.S. mines and mineral processing operations. The agency helps mine operators who have special compliance problems, and makes available technical, educational, and other types of assistance.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health

NIOSH, a branch of the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services, coordinates research and makes recommendations

for preventing work-related illnesses and injuries.

NIOSH has produced three alerts on silicosis: Preventing Silicosis andDeathsfrom Sandblasting, Preventing Silicosis and Deathsfrom Rock Drilling, and Preventing Silicosis andDeaths in Construction Workers. For a free copy, call 1(800) 35-NIOSH.

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