SILICA IN THE WORKPLACE
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365-AXJ-01-iGDO © 2020, Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS)
1 877 494 WSPS (9777) | 905 614 1400 | wsps.ca
WSPS.CA
4. Health Education
At preplacement and periodic medical examinations, a worker must be advised by the physician of
the health effects and symptoms of exposure to silica, the importance of notifying the employer if
symptoms are experienced so that appropriate follow up can be arranged such as review of control
measures and referral to medical assessment. The physician must also notify the worker
of the clinical test results, the importance of good personal hygiene practices, the harmful effects of
smoking and silica exposure and non-occupational sources which may contribute to silica exposure.
5. Record Keeping
Under the provisions of the Designated Substances Regulation (O. Reg 490/90) the physician
conducting medical examinations or supervising the tests must keep a copy of the worker exposure
record in a secure place until the later of the following date of either the 40th anniversary of the date
the first record was made or the 20th anniversary of the last record made. The Code for Medical
Surveillance should be referred to for detailed information of what needs to be recorded.
F. EDUCATION AND TRAINING
One of the most important and potentially most productive parts of the control program involves
education and training. The ultimate success or failure of the control program rests in providing all workers,
including supervisors, with appropriate information and instruction on the hazards posed by crystalline
silica, measures needed to reduce or control exposures to acceptable levels, and the need for worker
co-operation in seeing that the controls are put into action effectively.
The following topics should be addressed:
Health hazards of exposure to crystalline silica
Hazards involved in use, handling and disposal of silica-containing products
Elements of the program to control silica exposure
Legal consequences of failure to comply with the control program
Use of control equipment
Use, fit, care and limitations of personal protective equipment
