Silica

Silica is one of the most common minerals in the earth's crust. The most common form of crystalline silica is quartz, which is found in sand, gravel, clay, granite, and many other forms of rock. Construction workers could be exposed to silica when cutting, grinding, drilling, sanding, mixing, or demolishing materials containing silica.

Silica can irritate the eyes, is classified as a carcinogen, and can cause silicosis, a scarring of the lungs. There are three types of silicosis, depending upon the airborne concentration of crystalline silica to which a worker has been exposed:

• Chronic silicosis usually occurs after 10 or more years of overexposure.
• Accelerated silicosis results from higher exposures and develops over 5-10 years.
• Acute silicosis occurs where exposures are the highest and can cause symptoms to develop within a few weeks or up to 5 years.

Symptoms of silicosis include shortness of breath, severe cough, fatigue, loss of appetite, chest pains, and fever.

To learn more about Construction Chemical Hazards visit our Construction Chemical Hazards & Toxic Substances Online Training web page.