Crystalline silica, a basic component of soil, sand, granite and other rock materials, is commonly used in occupations which perform such tasks as sand blasting, foundry work, cement mixing, stone cutting, rock drilling, quarry work, and tunneling.  Silica can be inhaled when workers

What is silicosis? Silicosis is a disease of the lungs due to breathing dust that contains crystalline silica particles. This dust can cause fibrosis or scar tissue formations in the lungs that reduce the lung’s ability to work to extract oxygen from the air.  There is no cure for thi

Exposure to fine particles of silica has been shown to cause silicosis, a serious and sometimes fatal lung disease. Employees who inhale fine particles of silica may be at risk of developing silicosis. Employees create silica dusts when they grind, cut, drill, or crush materials such

Silica dust exposure is very dangerous.  It remains a serious threat to nearly two million U.S. workers.   Those affected the most by silica dust work in high risk jobs that deal with abrasive blasting, tunneling or quarry work. Breathing in the silica dust, which is a carcinogen, can