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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
National action plans and strategies for silicosis/dust diseases
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 States of America

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Under the OSHA Respirable Crystalline Silica Rule, employers are responsible for protecting workers from exposure to silica. This includes controlling dust levels below the permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 50 µg/m3 (micrograms of RCS per cubic meter of air) as an 8-hour time weighted average. A PEL is the maximum daily concentration that workers can be exposed to for a working lifetime without adverse health effects.

Go to the OSHA Respirable Crystalline Silica webpage for more information on requirements for employers. Employers in states that have an OSHA-approved state plan should follow the applicable standards.

Mine Safety and Health Administration

Miners can be exposed to high levels of RCS dust. Exposure can occur during mine operations such as extraction, transport, and processing. To protect exposure to mine workers, the 2024 Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) Respirable Crystalline Silica Rule adopted a PEL of 50 µg/m3 for a full shift, calculated as an 8-hour time-weighted average, similar to the PEL used by OSHA. Implementation is delayed pending the outcome of legal challenges.

Mining operators can go to the NIOSH Mining webpage for silica-related requirements and safe mining guidance.

Respiratory protection

Employers should provide workers with respiratory protection when dust controls and safe work practices cannot limit exposures below exposure limits. Find out more on respirators by going to NIOSH Respirator Types and Use and Occupational Safety and Health Administration Respiratory Protection.

Medical surveillance programs

Employers should provide workers with medical monitoring or surveillance programs. This includes:

  • Medical exams as required by OSHA.
  • Worker training about the hazards of silica exposure, tasks where exposures can occur, and ways to limit exposure.

Employers should also keep records of worker exposures and medical exams.

Resources

The 2026 NIOSH and OSHA Hazard Alert recommends using the hierarchy of controls. The document compiles research on the health risks of RCS to workers exposed during countertop manufacturing, finishing, and installation.

The NIOSH Directory of Engineering Controls provides resources to help implement workplace controls. Other resources include:

The NIOSH Engineering and Physical Hazard Reports include research described in an assortment of report types. Go to Workplace Survey Reports to view these reports.

References

Silica – Safe Work Practices

United States Center for Disease Control

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

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Severe Silicosis in Engineered Stone Fabrication Workers — California, Colorado, Texas, and Washington

Rose C, Heinzerling A, Patel K, et al. (2019) Severe Silicosis in Engineered Stone Fabrication Workers — California, Colorado, Texas, and Washington, 2017–2019. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2019;68:813–818.

Read more

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