RCS Silica Sampling

Exposure to respirable crystalline silica occurs in common workplace operations such as cutting, sawing, drilling, and crushing of concrete, brick, block, rock, and stone; and in operations that use sand products such as sand blasting and glass cutting

Silica exposure has been linked to the lung disease silicosis and to increased risks for lung cancer, tuberculosis, COPD, airway diseases, and other ill health effects. In recent years, there has been a particular focus on exposure in construction and manufacturing industries, with various HSE campaigns including ’Dust Kills’.

The Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL) is low at 0.1mg/m3 (8hr time weighted average, or TWA), which must not be exceeded and you have an obligation to reduce exposure to as low as is reasonably practicable.

Ultra-Protect can provide assistance by carrying out independent air quality testing and silica dust monitoring within the workplace. COSHH air monitoring work can provide a crucial part in aiding the production of your COSHH Risk Assessments.

Book Your RCS Silica Sampling

What is Air Sampling?

Put simply, air sampling is capturing the contaminants from a known volume of air, measuring the amount of contaminant captured, and expressing it as a concentration.

This means that air sample requires three basic measurements;

1. The flow rate of air through the collection medium.

2. The sample run time.

3. The amount of contaminant collected.

Dust or particulate air sampling measures the concentration of physical particles in the air.

Dust will often have many other contaminants attached to it but air monitoring is often conducted to measure the concentration of particles / particulates within the air.

Book Your RCS Silica Sampling

How is Air Sampling Carried Out?

Put simply, air sampling is capturing the contaminants from a known volume of air, measuring the amount of contaminant captured, and expressing it as a concentration.

This means that air sample requires three basic measurements;

1. The flow rate of air through the collection medium.

2. The sample run time.

3. The amount of contaminant collected.

Dust or particulate air sampling measures the concentration of physical particles in the air.

Dust will often have many other contaminants attached to it but air monitoring is often conducted to measure the concentration of particles / particulates within the air.

Book Your RCS Silica Sampling

What is the risk of dust to construction workers?

Silica is the biggest risk to construction workers after asbestos. Heavy and prolonged exposure to RCS can cause lung cancer and other serious respiratory diseases. HSE commissioned estimates it was responsible for the death of over 500 construction workers annually, that we know of. In addition to the risks from lung cancer, silica is also linked to other serious lung diseases:

Silicosis can cause severe breathing problems and increases the risk of lung infections. Silicosis usually follows exposure to RCS over many years, but extremely high exposures can cause acute silicosis more quickly.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a group of lung diseases including bronchitis and emphysema. It results in severe breathlessness, prolonged coughing and chronic disability. It can be very disabling and is a leading cause of death. Around 4000 deaths are estimated annually due to COPD resulting from past workplace exposures in the past. Construction workers are a significant ‘at risk’ group within this.

Important points you need your consultant to cover

Download the APPG report

Improving Silicosis Outcomes in the UK

Download Now

Arrange sampling on a busy day when everything is working normally. (Unless you need to sample a particular process such as plant maintenance.)
Make it clear that you want personal samples to compare with exposure limits. Background (static) samples can be used to tell where substances escape into the workplace.
Demand ‘context’ information with personal samples (the person, the task, the work pattern, the controls used, their performance, and any other information concerning the work environment).
Ask for comments (eg if other routes of exposure could be important).
Your consultant should include all the monitoring results and interpret them (eg for risk, for indication of control deterioration).
Ask for recommendations on how to maintain or improve the controls, on future monitoring needs, and where appropriate, for advice on health surveillance.