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e-Toolkit

Silicosis and dust-related diseases

A note from our CEO
Section I: Taking action to eliminate silicosis and dust-related diseases
Ideal management approaches
Current challenges and uncertainties
National action plans and strategies for silicosis/dust diseases
Potential issues arising from action
Section II: Country summaries, case studies and resources
Silica country summaries – Australia
Silica country summaries – International
Pneumoconiosis case studies
Research on silicosis and dust-related diseases
Section III: What silica and other occupational dusts are and the risks they pose
Mineralogical features of silica
Other dust/fume-related exposures
Exposure pathways
Historical progression of silica and other dust-related diseases
Section IV: Health impacts of exposure to asbestos
What are dust/fume-related diseases?
How are dust-related diseases diagnosed?
Clinical features of silicosis and other dust-related diseases
Patient support, care and information
Reporting, coding and registration of occupational dust-related diseases

United Kingdom

Silicosis – causes and risk controls

Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is found in stone, rocks, sands and clays. Exposure to RCS over a long period can cause fibrosis (hardening or scarring) of the lung tissue with a consequent loss of lung function.

Silicosis results in a loss of lung function and severe shortness of breath, it can even be fatal. Silicosis can also increase your risk of getting other serious and potentially life-threatening conditions.

Sufferers are likely to have severe shortness of breath and may find it difficult or impossible to walk even short distances or up stairs. The effect continues to develop after exposure has stopped and is irreversible. Sufferers usually become house- or bed-bound and often die prematurely due to heart failure.

Acute silicosis is a rare complication of short-term exposure to very large amounts of silica. This condition is life-threatening and associated with very significant clinical consequences.

Silica may also be linked to lung cancer. Precautions taken to control the risk of fibrosis will serve to control the risk of lung cancer. Workers with silicosis are at an increased risk of tuberculosis, kidney disease and arthritis.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Exposure to RCS may also cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The symptoms are chronic cough, sputum production and breathlessness. The condition is slow to develop and is rarely seen in people under 40. It can be very disabling and is a leading cause of death. Severe unremitting asthma is classed as a COPD.

You can find more information on how to protect workers from COPD.

Exposure to RCS

Occupations with exposure to RCS include:

  • quarrying
  • slate works
  • foundries
  • potteries
  • stonemasonry
  • construction (when cutting or breaking stone, concrete or brick)
  • industries using silica flour to manufacture goods

The quantity of silica contained in stone and other materials varies considerably between different types of stone:

* Artificial stone may also be known as agglomerated stone and includes engineered stone, sintered stone and terrazzo. Resin-based engineered stone often comprises up to around 95% quartz, and about 5% resin (usually polyester), whilst sintered stone, which includes ceramic and porcelain, usually contains around 5–25% crystalline silica.

Controlling the risks of RCS

In Britain, RCS exposure has a workplace exposure limit (WEL), which contains exposure below a set limit, preventing excessive exposure. The WEL for RCS is 0.1 mg/m3 expressed as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA). Exposure to RCS is also subject to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH).

Health surveillance must be provided to workers who are regularly exposed to RCS dust and there is a reasonable likelihood that silicosis may develop.

You should consider health surveillance for silicosis for workers who are involved in high-risk occupations, including construction, foundry work, brick and tile work, ceramics, slate, manufacturing, quarries and stonework.

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