The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations

The principal legislation governing exposure to silica dust is the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, commonly known as COSHH.

Under COSHH, employers must:

• Assess the risks created by hazardous substances, including respirable crystalline silica dust.
• Prevent exposure wherever reasonably practicable.
• Adequately control exposure when it cannot be prevented.
• Provide suitable control equipment and ensure that it is properly used.
• Maintain, examine and test control measures as required.
• Provide employees with suitable information, instruction and training.
• Monitor exposure and provide health surveillance where legally required.
• Review control measures and risk assessments regularly.

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 places a general duty on employers to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Employers must also consider other people who could be affected by their work, including contractors, visitors and members of the public.

This includes providing:

• Safe equipment and machinery.
• Safe systems of work.
• A safe working environment.
• Appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision.

COSHH Risk Assessments for Silica Dust

Employers and managers must ensure that a suitable and sufficient COSHH risk assessment is completed before work involving silica-containing materials begins.

The assessment should identify:

• The materials and tasks that could produce silica dust.
• Who may be exposed and how the exposure could occur.
• The expected level and duration of exposure.
• The control measures required to prevent or reduce exposure.
• Whether respiratory protective equipment or health surveillance is necessary.

Risk assessments must be implemented, monitored and reviewed. Completing paperwork alone is not enough; the specified controls must be followed in the workplace.

Engineering Controls for Silica and Construction Dust

Employers should prioritise control methods that prevent dust from becoming airborne or capture it close to its source. Suitable engineering controls may include:

• On-tool dust extraction connected to a suitable extraction unit.
• Water suppression to reduce the amount of airborne dust.
• Local exhaust ventilation and approved dust-extraction systems.
• Enclosed or isolated work processes.
• Alternative materials or working methods that produce less dust.

All dust-control equipment must be suitable for the task, used correctly and properly maintained, examined and tested.

Silica Dust Information, Instruction and Training

Employers must provide workers with sufficient information, instruction and training to help them understand the dangers of silica dust and follow the required control measures.

Workers should understand:

• The health risks associated with respirable crystalline silica.
• Which tasks and materials can create hazardous dust.
• How to operate dust-control equipment correctly.
• How to use, check and maintain respiratory protective equipment.
• How to report defective controls, unsafe conditions or health concerns.

Workers cannot follow a safe system of work unless they understand it. Effective training and appropriate supervision are therefore essential.

Respiratory Protective Equipment and Face-Fit Testing

Where engineering and organisational controls cannot adequately control exposure, employers must provide suitable respiratory protective equipment, or RPE, as an additional control measure.

The RPE must provide the correct level of protection for the hazard, task and individual wearer. It must be compatible with any other personal protective equipment being used.

Workers who use tight-fitting respirators must receive a face-fit test for the particular make, model, type and size of respirator they will wear. They must also be clean-shaven wherever the respirator needs to seal against the face.

RPE should not normally be treated as a replacement for effective dust-control measures. It is generally the final layer of protection when exposure cannot be adequately controlled by other means.

Health Surveillance for Workers Exposed to Silica Dust

Where the COSHH risk assessment identifies that health surveillance is appropriate and the relevant legal conditions are met, employers must arrange suitable health surveillance for workers exposed to silica dust.

Health surveillance can help identify early signs of respiratory illness and provide an opportunity for action before a worker's health deteriorates further. It must be carried out by a competent occupational health professional or another suitably qualified person.

Health surveillance does not replace effective exposure controls. Its purpose is to check whether the precautions are protecting workers and to identify possible health problems at an early stage.

Records, Monitoring and Review

Employers should retain appropriate records relating to the management of silica dust, including:

• COSHH risk assessments.
• Dust-control arrangements and safe systems of work.
• Inspection, examination, testing and maintenance of control equipment.
• Employee information, instruction and training.
• RPE selection and face-fit testing.
• Exposure monitoring, where undertaken.
• Health surveillance, where required.

These records help demonstrate that silica dust risks are being properly managed and support the early identification of defective controls, unsafe practices and potential health concerns.

Key Responsibilities of Employers and Managers

Employers and managers must take a proactive approach to silica dust safety. They should assess the risks, introduce effective controls, provide suitable training and supervision, maintain equipment and check that safe working procedures are followed.

Do not wait for a worker to develop symptoms before taking action. Suitable silica dust controls must be established before hazardous work begins.