|
7 December 2005 - HSC Consultation for New
Workplace Exposure Limits
Navigation
A consultation on proposals for new Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL's)
for Respirable Crystalline Silica has been published by the Health and Safety
Commission (HSC).
Two million employees every year are exposed to crystalline
silica, a naturally occurring mineral found in rock, sands, clay, building
materials made from them such as bricks, concrete and tiles, exposing at least,
as estimated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), 100,000 workers to the
dust containing respirable crystalline silica.
Long-term exposure to dusts can lead to the following:
-
The development of silicosis, a slowly developing irreversible
lung disease.
-
Risk of lung cancer through heavy and prolonged exposures under
conditions that are sufficient to cause silicosis.
It is suggested, from evidence, that long-term, a WEL of
0.1mg.m-3 for crystalline silica, would considerably reduce the risk of
silicosis development in workers.
Proposals from the HSC are as follows:
-
A reduction from the current WEL of 0.3 mg.m -3 for respirable
crystalline silica to a new WEL of 0.1 mg.m -3 (measured as an 8-hour time
weighted average).
-
If the proposal were to be agreed HSE would bring the new WEL
into force in 2006. A new WEL set at 0.1 mg.m -3 would be accompanied by
practical advice on how to control exposures to respirable crystalline silica in
the workplace.
-
The consultation period will be 15 weeks from the day of
publication of the consultation document.
The consultation document can be accessed from the HSE webpage
by clicking the following:
HSE Consultations and discussions ending during 2005
E-mail comments can be sent to:
Silica.consultation@hse.gsi.gov.uk
Written comments can be sent to: Pauline Dillon,
Health and Safety Executive, Policy Group, Room 101 Daniel House, Stanley
Precinct, Bootle, Liverpool, L20 3TW by 13 th March 2006.
Further information on the Control of Substances Hazardous to
Health can be accessed from HSfB's Revision page by clicking the following:
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
Article by Alexandra Johnston
 Click Here to
Email This Article To a Friend
|
