HSE Inspections to Target Manufacturers Using Materials Containing Silica

FROM OCTOBER, construction site inspectors will be visiting manufacturing businesses which use materials that contain silica. Manufacturers of roofing tiles and bricks, foundries and stone working sites will be targeted.

HSE Inspectors will be checking that duty holders know the risks associated with inhalation of silica dust and have effective controls in place to protect workers’ respiratory health.

Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS)

Around 12,000 people die every year from work-related lung diseases linked to past exposure to hazardous substances at work in Great Britain. This includes the inhalation of RCS, or silica dust, which can be created through manufacturing processes. HSE says that these deaths are preventable if exposure to the risks is effectively controlled.

Silica is a natural substance found in most stone, rocks, sand and clay. When these materials are processed in manufacturing, respirable crystalline silica (RCS) particles can become airborne. If breathed in, these particles can cause irreversible lung disease which can prove fatal.

Breathing in silica dust can cause:

• Silicosis
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Lung cancer

Silica particles are produced during many manufacturing tasks, including roof tile manufacture, brick and stone working, and foundry work. They can all produce silica particles in airborne dust which are too small to be seen but can be breathed in.

Employer Guidance 

Employers have a legal duty to put in place suitable arrangements to manage health and safety and ensure they comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH).

HSE’s Head of Manufacturing, David Butter, said: “Ahead of our autumn/winter inspection campaign, we want employers and workers to make sure they are aware of the risks associated with the activities they do. For example, brick and tile manufacture, foundry workers and stoneworkers where they cut and shape bricks, tiles and stone that can create RCS dust that could be breathed in. To assist them we have refreshed our guidance. In addition, we have committed to providing dutyholders with regular updates, information and advice through our ebulletin.”

The refreshed guidance is available to view on the HSE website.

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