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Dust entry

Brick dust

Dust generated when brick is drilled, cut, scabbled, or ground; HSE identifies these operations as potential sources of respirable crystalline silica.

Airborne form

dust

The form describes what is suspended in air at the point of exposure. A material can produce more than one form, such as dust during handling and fume during heating.

Health effects

silicosislung cancerCOPDloss of lung function

Evidence

HSE RR1202 reports that demolition workers can be exposed to respirable crystalline silica, which can cause silicosis, lung cancer, and COPD; its demolition measurements were compared with the 0.1 mg/m³ 8-hour WEL and most were below one quarter of that limit under proactively managed controls.

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Summary · 1–2
Demolition workers are exposed to ... respirable crystalline silica (RCS). This can cause chronic lung diseases like silicosis, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) ... Results were compared against the Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL) for RCS of 0.1 mg/m3 as an 8-hr Time Weighted Average. The majority (75.6%) were less than 25% of this WEL.
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page 2 · Summary · 1–2
Demolition workers are exposed to various hazardous substances including respirable crystalline silica (RCS). RCS, if inhaled, can lead to chronic lung diseases such as silicosis, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

HSE's current construction-dust guidance states that regularly breathing construction dust can cause lung cancer, asthma, COPD, and silicosis, and that common construction tasks can create high dust levels.

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What you should know · 1
Regularly breathing construction dust can cause diseases like lung cancer, asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and silicosis. Construction workers have a high risk of developing these diseases because many common construction tasks can create high dust levels.

HSE says silicosis health surveillance should be considered for regularly RCS-exposed workers in high-risk occupations such as construction, foundries, brick and tile, ceramics, slate, manufacturing, quarries, and stonework, and notes that the surveillance can also help identify COPD associated with RCS exposure.

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Health surveillance for those exposed to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) · 1
Health surveillance for silicosis should be considered for workers who are involved in high-risk occupations, including construction, foundry work, brick and tile work, ceramics, slate, manufacturing, quarries and stonework. Where workers are regularly exposed to RCS dust and there is a reasonable likelihood that silicosis may develop, health surveillance must be provided.
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page 1 · Who should be included in the health surveillance programme?; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · 1–2
Where workers are regularly exposed to RCS dust and there is a reasonable likelihood that silicosis may develop, health surveillance must be provided ... The questionnaire and lung function testing elements ... should help in identifying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) which is also associated with exposure to RCS.

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