Silica, Nuisance Dust, Dried Mud, or Silt
When inhaled, the fine crystalline silica particles contained in the dust can become lodged deep in the lungs, which can lead to silicosis and other respiratory illnesses.
Silica dust clouds from delivery trucks loading into sand movers.
Key engineering controls and safe work practices to protect against the hazards associated with inhalation of silica include:
- Stay upwind of or away from dust-generating activities, in particular those involving crystalline silica-containing materials like concrete, brick, tile, drywall, mortar, sand, or stone.
- Use water spray or mist to suppress dust generation, especially during operations that may create a lot of dust, such as cutting or sawing silica-containing materials, jack hammering, impact drilling, using heavy equipment, and demolishing structures.
- Avoid using compressed air for cleaning surfaces.
- Sample worker exposures to silica during dust-generating activities.
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3-4. What illnesses can silica particles lead to when inhaled and lodged in the lungs?
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