Crystalline Silica
Crystalline silica is a common mineral found in the earth's crust. Materials like sand, stone, concrete, and mortar contain crystalline silica. It is also used to make products such as glass, pottery, ceramics, bricks, and artificial stone.
Respirable crystalline silica – very small particles at least 100 times smaller than ordinary sand you might find on beaches and playgrounds – is created when cutting, sawing, grinding, drilling, and crushing stone, rock, concrete, brick, block, and mortar. Activities such as abrasive blasting with sand; sawing brick or concrete; sanding or drilling into concrete walls; grinding mortar; manufacturing brick, concrete blocks, stone countertops, or ceramic products; and cutting or crushing stone can result in exposures to respirable crystalline silica dust.
Inhaling these very small crystalline silica particles results in an increased risk of developing serious silica-related diseases, including:
Silicosis, an incurable lung disease that can lead to disability and death
Lung cancer
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Kidney disease.
To protect personnel from exposure to respirable crystalline silica, SDSU has two
crystalline silica standards below:
Crystalline Silica Exposure Control Plan for Construction (Facilities Services)
Crystalline Silica Exposure Control Plan for General Industry (Academic Workshops)
Crystalline Silica - Safety Training for Construction (Facilities Services)
Crystalline Silica - Safety Training for General Industry (Academic Workshops)