DISCLAIMER: The resources provided on this website contain useful technical information. However, since this website was developed, the Occupational Health Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) established a new Permissible Exposure Level (PEL) of 50 micrograms of respirable crystalline silica per cubic meter of air (μg/m3), averaged over an 8-hour workday, and there are now additional requirements under the new OSHA’s Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for Construction.
It's Not Just Dust, It's Silica!
Silicosis is a disabling and sometimes fatal lung disease caused by overexposure to dust containing crystalline silica. Silicosis cannot be cured, but it can be prevented.
Crystalline silica is found in materials such as sand, concrete, masonry, rock, granite, engineered stone, and many building and landscaping materials. Breathing dust generated from working with these materials can scar the lungs. Once silicosis develops, the damage is permanent. The scarring of the lung tissue cannot be reversed.