WRAS

Occupational Health - Case Study

Ceramics Industry - Monitoring Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) in the work place

The ceramics industry includes many common product segments:

Tiles - Interior, exterior and roofing tiles

Tableware

Sanitary ware

Bricks

The ceramics industry usually involves powdered crystalline silica in the manufacturing process. For many years it has been recognized that inhalation of Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) can lead to silicosis, which ultimately leads to breathing dificulties, ill-health and even death.

In 1997 The International Agency on Research in Cancer (IARC) classified RCS as a category 1 carcinogen. Whilst the legislators understand their obligation to workers to mpose strict limits on exposure, they also recognise that there has to be a sensible balance. If the ceramics industry is faced with excessive compliance costs, there will be an increased temptation to evade the legislation, which could produce a rise in the number of silicosis cases.

Within Europe the Scientic Committee on Occupational Exposure Limits is working towards identifying a common EU position on acceptable exposure levels for RCS. One of the difficulties is that different forms of crystalline silica appear to pose different threats making it more difficult to arrive at common exposure limits for workers.

MU Ventures has secured EC Funds of 250,000 Euros as part of an EC funded project to assess exposure in the work place to Respirable Crystalline Silica in the above segments of the ceramics industry. The aim of the project is to provide legislators with useful data for defining limits for RCS in air.

The project objectives are:

To investigate the legislative trends regarding a common EU position for RCS exposure limit

To increase understanding of how the chemistry, size and surface properties of different forms of RCS affect toxicity.

To identify potential and practical ways to render RCS safer

To investigate novel techniques for the capture of airborne RCS particles prior to analysis:

High-volume sampling apparatus for use by research organisations
Wide Range Aerosol Sampler (WRAS) for the use of SME

Summary of findings