Is Your Stone Business Taking your Breath Away?

Is Your Stone Business Taking your Breath Away?

 

Frederick M. Hueston, Technical editor 

Does your shop cut, grind or hone stone dry. If so, you may want to pay attention to this article.  Dust created from cutting and grinding certain types of stone will emit silica in the air. If you or your workers are not using the proper respiratory protection, you could be exposing yourself and your workers to serious health problems. Breathing silica dust can cause a disease known as  Siliceous.  More than 250 people each year die from this disease and over one million workers in the US are exposed to silica dust. The really bad news is that there is no cure for it. The good news is, it is very preventable.* The way to prevent silicosis is simple...cut, grind and polish all your stone wet and you wont have to worry about it.

What stone types contain silica?

All granite as well as certain slate and some marbles may contain harmful silica dust.  I would make the assumption that all granites and slates contain silica.   Most marble except for a few green varieties have silica.  Limestone generally will not contain silica, although there are a few which may. All quartzite’s and stone containing quartz will have silica.

The following article was taken from the Washington State Department of Labor and Industry(www.lni.wa.gov/wisha/hazalerts/hazmay98.htm). Most states will have there own exposure limits and I would encourage you to check with your state Department of Labor. OSHA also has a federal limit which you should be aware of. OSHA also has some excellent info on siliceous and protecting yourself on their web site at www.osha‑slc.gov/SLTC/silicacrystalline.

 

 

 

*www.osha‑slc.gov/SLTC/silicacrystalline/