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AVANORTH Home
**Safety**·May 7, 2026· 3 min read
# **Silica Dust Exposure Prevention in Construction**
Crystalline silica dust is one of the most serious health hazards in construction. Cutting, grinding, or drilling concrete, brick, and stone releases respirable silica particles that cause silicosis and lung cancer.
**AVANORTH Team**
AVANORTH Construction
Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is a component of sand, stone, concrete, brick, and mortar. When these materials are cut, ground, drilled, or demolished, fine silica dust becomes airborne. Particles smaller than 10 micrometres penetrate deep into the lungs, where they cause permanent damage. Silicosis is an incurable lung disease that progresses even after exposure stops. Silica dust exposure is also a confirmed cause of lung cancer. Ontario's construction industry has approximately 250,000 workers regularly exposed to silica dust.
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## Where Silica Exposure Occurs
| Activity | Silica Content | Risk Level |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cutting concrete with a saw (dry) | 25-70% | Extremely high |
| Grinding concrete surfaces | 25-70% | Extremely high |
| Drilling into concrete or brick | 25-70% | Very high |
| Demolishing concrete structures | 25-70% | Very high |
| Mixing dry mortar or grout | 30-70% | High |
| Cutting brick or stone | 30-90% | Very high |
| Sandblasting (abrasive blasting) | Up to 99% (if using silica sand) | Extreme (silica sand is banned for blasting in Ontario) |
| Sweeping concrete dust | 25-70% | High |
| Jackhammering | 25-70% | Very high |
---
## Ontario Exposure Limits
Ontario Regulation 833 sets the occupational exposure limit (OEL) for respirable crystalline silica at **0.025 mg/m3** (25 micrograms per cubic metre) as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA). This is one of the lowest OELs for any substance, reflecting the extreme hazard of silica dust.
> **Perspective:** The OEL of 0.025 mg/m3 is invisible to the naked eye. If you can see dust while cutting concrete, the silica concentration is likely 10-100 times the OEL. "It doesn't look dusty" does not mean it's safe. Air monitoring with calibrated sampling pumps and laboratory analysis is the only way to accurately measure silica exposure.
---
## Health Effects
### Silicosis
- **Chronic silicosis:** Develops after 10-30 years of lower-level exposure. Progressive scarring (fibrosis) of lung tissue. Causes shortness of breath, coughing, and reduced lung function. Irreversible and progressive.
- **Accelerated silicosis:** Develops in 5-10 years of moderate-to-high exposure. Same pathology as chronic silicosis but faster progression.
- **Acute silicosis:** Develops weeks to months after extremely high exposure (e.g., confined space sandblasting). Can be rapidly fatal. Lungs fill with fluid (pulmonary edema).
### Other Health Effects
- Lung cancer (IARC Group 1 carcinogen)
- Kidney disease
- Autoimmune disorders (scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus)
- Tuberculosis (silicosis dramatically increases susceptibility)
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
---
## Control Hierarchy
1. **Elimination/Substitution:**
- Use pre-cast or pre-cut materials to eliminate on-site cutting
- Use diamond wire cutting instead of abrasive cutting (produces less dust)
- Substitute silica-free or low-silica materials where possible
2. **Engineering Controls:**
- _Wet methods:_ Attach a water supply to saws, grinders, and drills. Water suppresses dust at the source by 80-95%. This is the most effective and practical control for most activities.
- _Local exhaust ventilation:_ Vacuum shrouds attached to grinders and drills with a HEPA-filtered vacuum. Captures dust at the point of generation.
- _Isolation:_ Enclose dusty operations in containment with separate ventilation.
3. **Administrative Controls:**
- Rotate workers to reduce individual exposure duration
- Schedule dusty work when fewer workers are nearby
- Post silica hazard signage and restrict access to cutting areas
- Never dry sweep silica dust (use wet methods or HEPA vacuum)
4. **Respiratory Protection:**
- Last resort, used in combination with other controls
- Minimum: N95 disposable respirator (protection factor 10x OEL). Must be fit-tested.
- Better: Half-face elastomeric respirator with P100 filters (protection factor 10x OEL, more reliable seal).
- For high exposure: Full-face powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) (protection factor 25-50x OEL).
> **AVANORTH Policy:** All concrete cutting and grinding on our sites uses wet methods. We supply water connections at every cutting station. Our workers are trained in silica hazards and provided with properly fit-tested respirators as backup protection. We conduct air monitoring on projects with significant concrete or masonry work to verify that our controls are effective. Silica control is not optional; it protects lives.
#silica-dust #respiratory-protection #occupational-health
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