Silica Safety Training: Lessons From September 11 and the Importance of Protecting Workers

The rescue and recovery efforts following the September 11 attacks demonstrated the serious consequences of uncontrolled dust exposure. As first responders, construction workers, volunteers, and recovery personnel searched for victims, they worked in an environment filled with pulverized concrete, glass, gypsum, smoke, metals, fibers, and other hazardous materials.

Respiratory protection was not always immediately available, consistently worn, or adequate for the conditions. Many responders experienced significant exposure before the full danger of the dust was understood. In the years that followed, thousands of people involved in the response and recovery developed respiratory illnesses and other health conditions.

The World Trade Center disaster involved a complex mixture of contaminants and should not be attributed to silica alone. However, it remains a powerful reminder that hazardous dust can cause permanent harm—and that workers must be protected before exposure occurs.

What Is Respirable Crystalline Silica?

Crystalline silica is a naturally occurring mineral found in concrete, brick, mortar, stone, sand, tile, and many other construction materials. When these materials are cut, drilled, ground, crushed, demolished, or disturbed, they can release extremely small particles called respirable crystalline silica.

These particles are too small to see and can travel deep into the lungs when inhaled. Workers may be exposed even when the amount of visible dust appears minor.

Common silica-producing activities include:

Cutting or grinding concrete, brick, block, tile, or stone
Drilling into concrete or masonry
Jackhammering and chipping
Crushing or demolishing concrete structures
Tuckpointing and mortar removal
Using powered saws on silica-containing materials
Dry sweeping or using compressed air to clean accumulated dust

Silica-Related Diseases May Take Years to Develop

Silicosis is a permanent lung disease caused by inhaling respirable crystalline silica. Chronic silicosis commonly develops after many years of occupational exposure—often 15 to 20 years. More intense exposure can cause the disease to develop much sooner.

Because symptoms may not appear immediately, workers can continue breathing hazardous dust without realizing that lung damage is occurring.

Exposure to respirable crystalline silica is also associated with:

Lung cancer
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Kidney disease
Increased susceptibility to tuberculosis
Progressive and irreversible loss of lung function

There is no cure for silicosis. Prevention is the most effective protection.

Controlling Silica Exposure

Employers must identify tasks that could expose workers to respirable crystalline silica and implement appropriate controls. Depending on the task and applicable OSHA standard, protective measures may include:

Using tools equipped with integrated water-delivery systems
Using local exhaust ventilation and dust collection
Following OSHA’s specified control methods for covered construction tasks
Restricting access to areas where exposure may occur
Avoiding dry sweeping and compressed-air cleaning when safer methods are feasible
Providing appropriate respiratory protection when required
Conducting exposure assessments when necessary
Providing required medical surveillance
Training workers about silica hazards and protective measures

Respirators should not automatically replace effective engineering and work-practice controls. Employers must first use feasible methods to reduce airborne dust and then provide respiratory protection when those controls do not reduce exposure sufficiently or when the applicable standard requires it.

Written Silica Exposure Control Plans

A written exposure control plan is an important part of an effective silica program—and is required for covered work under OSHA’s silica standards.

The plan should identify:

Tasks involving potential silica exposure
Engineering controls used to limit exposure
Work practices workers must follow
Respiratory protection required for specific tasks
Housekeeping procedures used to control dust
Methods for restricting access to affected areas
The competent person responsible for implementing the construction plan, when applicable

The plan must reflect the employer’s actual tasks and work practices. A generic document that does not match workplace conditions may not provide workers with adequate protection. Employers should review the plan regularly and update it whenever tasks, equipment, materials, or control methods change.

Silica Safety Training Available Nationwide

KARM Safety Solutions provides practical online silica safety training for workers, supervisors, competent persons, and employers in all 50 states.

Our training helps participants understand how to:

Recognize materials and tasks that may create silica dust
Understand the serious health effects of exposure
Apply appropriate engineering and work-practice controls
Use respiratory protection correctly when required
Follow written exposure-control procedures
Recognize unsafe dust-control and housekeeping practices
Understand employee and employer responsibilities

We also assist employers with developing or reviewing OSHA-required written silica exposure control plans based on their actual work activities.

Training is an essential part of prevention, but it must be supported by effective planning, proper equipment, workplace controls, supervision, and employee participation.

Protect Workers Before Symptoms Appear

Silica-related diseases can develop silently over many years. By the time symptoms are noticeable, permanent lung damage may already have occurred.

Employers should not wait for an illness, inspection, citation, or close call before addressing silica exposure. Identifying hazardous tasks, controlling dust, training workers, and maintaining an effective written plan can prevent exposure and save lives.

Contact KARM Safety Solutions to learn more about online silica training or assistance with your written silica exposure control plan.

Building Safer Workplaces—One Training at a Time.