What Exactly is Silicosis and How Does it Develop?

Regulators around the country are cracking down on silicosis, with the introduction of the new national exposure standard designed to guide employers in protecting workers from silica dust.

Silicosis is an incurable lung disease that results from inhalation of silica dust, said Professor Graeme Zosky, Deputy Director, Menzies Institute for Medical Research at the University of Tasmania.

“When you inhale silica particles they can damage the delicate cells in the lung,” said Zosky, who was speaking ahead of a series of events on silicosis, OHS and the workplace, which will be held across Tasmania from 11-13 March.

“Over time, if exposure continues at a high enough concentration, the cells become overwhelmed and the injury promotes the formation of scar tissue.”

These scars are irreversible and cause changes to the structure of the lung, and Zosky said these changes make the lung stiff and impair gas exchange leading breathing difficulties.

“If the disease is severe it can lead to premature death,” he said.

There are three general categories of silicosis; chronic, acute and accelerated, he explained. Chronic silicosis is the most well-known form of the disease.

This form results from chronic exposure to silica dust over many years and is typically diagnosed many years (typically 10-30) after exposure.

Acute silicosis results from exposure to very high concentrations of silica over a short period of time – and Zosky said it is usually progressive and fatal.

Accelerated silicosis sits somewhere in between chronic and acute silicosis, and Zosky explained that it is associated with high-intensity exposure to silica dust and usually develops within 10 years of first exposure.

“It is usually more progressive than chronic silicosis and is the type of disease that we are seeing in workers exposed to dust from artificial stone benchtops,” he said.

“We know what causes silicosis – inhalation of silica dust.”

The main risk factor is the cumulative dose of silica a worker is exposed to, said Zosky.

“We know that certain activities, such as dry cutting, and other risk factors, such as smoking, may play a role in disease risk but the key issue is minimising exposure to silica dust,” he said.

The Victorian Government recently urged employers to do everything they can to protect workers from silica dust with the introduction of the new national exposure standard.

It also went one step further and urged employers to take a precautionary approach and only expose their workers to levels below 0.02mg/m3.

The Victorian Government has already banned the dry cutting of engineered stone and establishing a health screening program for Victoria’s 1400 stonemasons.

The NSW also announced a new plan to reduce cases of the lung disease silicosis.

On-the-spot fines will be introduced for those who engage in unsafe dry-cutting practices, under the plan, which also includes the creation of a silicosis health register and the introduction of a new workplace exposure standard from 1 July this year (see related article).

The NSW Government will make silicosis a notifiable disease, creating a silicosis health register to allow SafeWork to track and investigate the workplaces of those diagnosed with the disease.

Article originally published by the Australian Institute of Health and Safety.

Discover more information about silicosis in the myosh Public Library.

What is HSE Software and How Does myosh Work?

myosh is a cloud based workplace health and safety platform that works with you and your team.

Schedule an Online Demo

myosh is fast and fully configurable HSE Software that is easy to use and adapt for any Industries.

Over 50 configurable modules integrate to collect HSEQ data.

Modules are used to manage hazards, investigate incidents, manage risk, conduct audits and much more.

Our mobile app is used for fast data capture in the field, online or offline.  Features include QR code scanning, digital signatures, Geo Locations and Geo Fencing, pdf export and more. You can configure mobile forms, visibility and functionality in your Administration panel

The myosh Dashboard provides powerful organisational insight by transforming your hseq data into intelligent visual charts, marps and tables.  Up to date data is derived from modules and displayed in an interactive visual format, configured specifically for you and your team.

myosh is built on the Viking PaaS, a super configurable platform with powerful capabilities. Teams can quickly and easily configure the platform to their own very unique end to end process requirements.

We encourage you to treat your software technology like a team member. The myosh academy is designed to empower your team with the skills to ensure they use their software tools productively.  Everyone learns differently, so the academy holds a variety of resources including videos, guided learning and verified online learning courses for each myosh module.

Your investment in myosh helps you and your team manage risk, compliance and improve workplace health and safety.  Today, successful organisations view safety as an asset, and health and safety spending as an investment. This is because a safe workplace adds measurable business value, and can drive tangible improvements in performance, profit, and culture.

Ask our team for an online demonstration today.

More myosh work safety resources

The Facts and The Figures

Organisations are constantly reminded that health and safety failure is expensive. And whilst this is certainly true, there are benefits to health and safety success that go beyond cost-avoidance. Today, successful organisations view safety as an asset, and health and safety spending as an investment.

Download the report and discover the tangible and measurable benefits that health and safety initiatives can have on:

• Organisational Productivity
• Safety Climate
• Insurance
• Reputation
• The Bottom Line

myosh Academy

Your investment in myosh helps you and your team manage risk, compliance and improve workplace health and safety.

We encourage you to treat your software technology like a team member.  The myosh Academy is designed to empower your team with Knowledge, Skills, Tips and FAQS, and to ensure they use their software tools productively.

• Watch videos
• View FAQs
• Take online courses
• Read articles
• Stay informed with myosh Updates