Scheduled maintenance - Thursday, July 12 at 5:00 PM EDT
We expect this update to take about an hour. Access to this website will be unavailable during this time.
Silicosis is an incurable lung disease that can lead to disability and death . Silicosis is the result of the body’s response to the presence of the silica particles in the lung. Silica particles are very small in size and can reach deep into the lungs (all the way into the alveoli) where they are removed by white blood cells. Free crystalline silica causes the white blood cells to break open, which form scar-like patches on the surface of the alveolus. When a large number of these “scars” form, the alveolar surfaces become less elastic. Over time, this damage reduces the transfer of gases, which can lead to shortness of breath.
There are three major types of silicosis each with their own set of symptoms:
Acute Silicosis occurs after a few months or as long as 2 years after exposures to extremely high concentrations of silica dust. Signs and symptoms of acute silicosis include shortness of breath, weakness, fever, cough, and weight loss.
Chronic Silicosis is the most common and occurs after 15–20 years of moderate to low exposures. Symptoms may or may not be obvious. People suspected of having chronic silicosis may need to have a chest x-ray to determine if there is lung damage. As the disease progresses, sufferers may experience shortness of breath when exercising and have clinical signs of poor oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange. In the later stages, the sufferers may experience fatigue, extreme shortness of breath, chest pain, or respiratory failure.
Accelerated Silicosis onset is quicker than chronic silicosis, and can be detected after 1–10 years of high exposures. Symptoms include severe shortness of breath, weakness, and weight loss.
Silicosis is caused by inhaling dust that contains free crystalline silica. Development of silicosis is influenced by several factors, which include:
Yes. People with untreated silicosis can develop complications including lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), vulnerability to infections (e.g., tuberculosis), and kidney disease. People who smoke may also develop worse silicosis due to the additional lung damage caused by cigarette smoke.
Exposure to crystalline silica may occur in several industries and occupations due to its wide and varied use. CAREX Canada estimates that approximately 429,000 workers in Canada are occupationally exposed to silica; 94% of these workers are male (2016 data). The largest occupational groups exposed to silica were construction trades labourers, heavy equipment operators, and plasterers and drywallers. However, workers can also be exposed in industries such as mining, agriculture, and manufacturing. Workers who are exposed to workplace activities such as abrasive blasting, cutting, sawing, demolishing, drilling, grinding, jackhammering, milling, mixing, polishing, roofing, sanding, and sweeping can also be at risk of developing silicosis.
There is no effective treatment for silicosis. As such, the only way to protect workers from developing silicosis is to control their exposure to silica-containing dusts.
Workplace exposure to crystalline silica can be controlled in several ways. Workplaces conduct a risk assessment and eliminate or reduce hazards according to the hierarchy of control .
For example:
A workplace medical surveillance program will not prevent silicosis but may detect early signs of silicosis in workers. Early detection can inform the workplace of the need to improve silica control systems to prevent further exposure to workers. Workers with early signs will be able to obtain treatment and may need to be accommodated.
Medical surveillance programs can be used to track the effects of exposure to silica. It can help protect the health of workers by:
Medical surveillance programs can include the following:
Medical surveillance may be required in some jurisdictions. Contact your local jurisdiction for more information.