Dust entry

Silica-flour milling dust

Fine silica flour dust generated during milling and handling of finely ground silica used in industrial products.

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

silicosisrespiratory irritationlung scarringlung-cancer concernrespirable-dust exposure

Evidence

NIOSH’s control-technology assessment identifies silica flour as a respiratory hazard and notes that most silica-flour dust is readily inhaled and retained in the lower respiratory tract; historical cases of silicosis occurred after relatively short exposure periods.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 1 · Abstract · 1

A Health Hazard Control Technology Assessment of the silica flour milling industry was conducted ... The primary operations investigated were bag packing, conveyor transfer of bags, palletizing, loading of bags in boxcars and trucks, and bulk loading of hopper trucks and railroad hopper cars.

Controls

enclosed milling
local exhaust ventilation
dust collection
process isolation
housekeeping that avoids re-suspension
exposure monitoring
appropriate respiratory protection