Silica is a primary component of many construction materials. CAREX Canada estimates that approximately 380,000 Canadians are occupationally exposed to silica, and approximately 570 lung cancers are due to exposure to crystalline silica each year. Exposure to silica dust, produced during work processes such as digging, grinding, and drilling, can lead to serious health issues including lung cancer, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and chronic kidney disease.

On this episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast, Jasmine Kalsi, IHSA’s Occupational Hygienist, and Shirly Yan, Occupational Hygienist at the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)—Toronto Clinic, discuss the hazards posed by silica in construction, addressing topics such as:

·      How a worker can get exposed to silica

·      Legal limits to which a worker can be exposed to silica

·      The responsibilities of workplace parties to ensure the health and safety of workers

·      The Silica Control Tool™ (SCT), a new tool from Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety System that collects details about a company, the jobsite, and planned work activity, estimating and analyzing the risk of silica dust exposure

Beginning in November 2023, workers and employers in the Ontario Construction Industry will receive full access to the Silica Control Tool™ to help assess silica exposure levels in the workplace.

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