Respirable Crystalline Silica

Introduction

Crystalline silica is the name for a group of naturally occurring minerals found in many types of rock. It can be released into the air when the rock or articles made from the rock are crushed, cut, or worked in some other way. It is the fine fraction of the dust, the respirable fraction, that is harmful to health when inhaled. Respirable Crystalline Silica is often abbreviated as RCS. Exposure to RCS over many years is harmful to health, causing silicosis and increasing the risk of lung cancer and other serious diseases amongst workers. Restricting exposure to very low levels (around 0.05 mg/m3 of RCS, averaged over each working day) will minimise the risk…