b'TECHNICAL There is so much information onandcuttingorcrushingstone the OSHA website about this. Youresultinworkerexposuresto really should check it out. The FAQrespirable crystalline silica dust. sectionisreallygood.ItliststheIndustrialsandusedincertain questions that you and I both haveoperations,suchasfoundry and provides us with answers thatworkandhydraulicfracturing arent loaded up with too much of(fracking),isalsoasourceof that wonky government regulationrespirable crystalline silica expo-language. You dont have to be asure. About 2.3 million people safety engineer to figure this stuffin the U.S. are exposed to silica out. OSHA is trying to help us allat work.understand. Workers who inhale these very If you read nothing else, read thissmall crystalline silica particles directquotefromtheOSHAweb- are at increased risk of devel-site. Even if youve read this before,oping serious silica-related dis-itsworthreadingagain.Iknowiteases, including:Silicosis, an incurable lung getsmyattentionwhenIamnotthinking about this every day. disease that can lead to dis-Crystalline silica is a commonability and death;mineralfoundintheearthsLung cancer;crust.Materialslikesand,Chronic obstructive pulmo-stone,concrete,andmortarnary disease (COPD); andcontaincrystallinesilica.ItisKidney disease.alsousedtomakeproductshttps://www.osha.gov/dsg/suchasglass,pottery,ceram- topics/silicacrystalline/ics, bricks, and artificial stone.RespirablecrystallinesilicaAtilecontractorandinstaller very small particles at least 100reallyshouldthinkaboutrespi-times smaller than ordinary sandrableairbornesilicaduringevery you might find on beaches andwork task they do every workday playgroundsis created whenon every work site. Ill guess that cutting,sawing,grinding,drill- you dont have to think too hard to ing,andcrushingstone,rock,come up with the tasks that create concrete, brick, block, and mor- the single largest amount of respi-tar.Activitiessuchasabrasiverable silica. Thats rightdry cut-blasting with sand; sawing brickting tile or grinding tile or mortar or concrete; sanding or drillingwith a grinder that does not have intoconcretewalls;grindinga shroud and dust collection sys-mortar;manufacturingbrick,tem that includes a 99% efficient concreteblocks,stonecoun- vacuumandfilterorfixedwater tertops,orceramicproducts;supply system.92TileLetter | August 2020'