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
Vacuum cleaning equipment should be fitted with HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters
to ensure that respirable particles are not blown into the workplace air through the exhaust of the
vacuum system.
Housekeeping procedures should be scheduled for both routine and non-routine occurrences.
Spilled material likely to contain crystalline free silica should be collected promptly and the cause
investigated. A central vacuum system is ideal for this purpose. Wet sweeping should be undertaken
only if water is compatible with other materials likely to be present in the area.
3. Maintenance
Dust control equipment is only as good as the maintenance that it receives. Performance deteriorates
as equipment:
– ages
– is damaged
– is improperly serviced
– is altered in a manner not intended in its original design
The continued control of silica emissions over time depends upon maintaining performance
standards. The simplest, least expensive means to achieve this objective is a program of regularly
scheduled maintenance.
A maintenance program should include documented procedures and the maintaining of
performance records. This permits diagnosis of problems occurring in equipment prior to
breakdown. Servicing dust control equipment, for example, involves potentially significant
exposures since ducts and the dust collector are likely to become covered by fine, easily suspended
particulate materials. This activity may require isolating the affected area from the remainder of the
building in order to limit the spread of airborne dust. Use of personal protective equipment is likely
to be necessary.
Some examples of activities that are often best carried out during off-shifts include:
– duct cleaning
– replacing filter bags
– fan repair
– altering the layout of the existing ventilation system
