Workers on a building site, whether it's a renovation or a large-scale commercial or residential project, already have one of the most challenging and labour-intensive jobs in the country. or signup to continue reading They face tight deadlines, long days and potential risks of all kinds to their body, from the occasional mistimed hammer on the thumb to safety issues far worse. The last thing they should have to worry about is the impact that breathing the air around them on-site is going to have on their long-term health.
But that's what many workers are facing, adding additional risk to an already demanding gig. is a mineral commonly found in building materials like sand, stone, concrete and mortar, and is often used to make composite materials like engineered stone, gravel, brick and tile. When it's left within these building materials, silica is considered safe.
However, when materials containing silica are disturbed through actions like cutting, drilling and abrasive blasting, a fine and extremely hazardous dust is released. Known as silica dust, it's been dubbed the new asbestos by the media and many in the industry. If silica dust is inhaled, it enters and remains in the lungs where it causes scarring and permanent tissue damage.
is proven to cause a range of serious medical conditions like emphysema, bronchitis and silicosis, lung cancer, kidney disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In the past 18 months, stories emerged in the media of the impact .