The risk of silica exposure: How much silica dust causes silicosis?

What causes silicosis?

Silicosis is a long-term lung disease and refers to scarring and inflammation in the lungs caused by the inhalation of silica dust, such as crystalline silica. This scarring, known as pulmonary fibrosis, can cause severe discomfort and pain, including difficulties breathing, chest pain and persistent coughing.

Inhalation of silica dust most commonly occurs due to occupational exposure. The construction, mining, quarrying and glass manufacturing industries are particularly at risk of silicosis, so it is crucial that employers take practical steps to protect their employees from dangerous exposure.

How much silica dust causes silicosis?

There is no definitive figure that indicates a risk of silicosis for everyone, as each person’s body can react differently. Two people in the same environment and exposed to the same dust may inhale different quantities, for example. There are, however, legal guidelines to minimise risk as much as possible.

In the UK, the Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL) is 0.1mg of silica dust per cubic metre over an 8-hour day; anything over this is considered unsafe and is thought to increase the risk of developing silicosis. However, the British Safety Council has suggested that anything over 0.05mg per cubic metre can still pose a significant risk and has called for the WEL to be reduced.

How long does it take to develop silicosis?

The length of time it takes to develop silicosis can vary substantially depending upon how much silica dust you were exposed to.

According to the NHS, most cases of silicosis develop after continued silica dust exposure over 10 to 20 years. Heavier levels of exposure can reduce this timeframe to between 5 and ten years.

In the most serious cases, where extreme exposure has occurred, silicosis can develop after just a few months.

What are the stages of silicosis?

The early stages of silicosis may not begin to be apparent for many years. You may have even stopped working with silica dust when you noticed the first symptoms, which include a persistent cough, shortness of breath, weakness and tiredness.

These symptoms can get more severe if the condition worsens, which can still occur even if you do not inhale any more silica dust. Worsening symptoms can include chest pain, fever, mobility difficulties due to shortness of breath and, in the worst cases, respiratory failure.

Silicosis can also increase your risk of developing other health issues, such as:

• Chest infections, including tuberculosis (TB)
• Pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the blood vessels that supply the lungs)
• Arthritis
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Kidney disease
• Lung cancer
• Heart failure

How Slater and Gordon’s expert silicosis solicitors can help

If you have been diagnosed with silicosis and believe your work may have been the cause, you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation. Pursuing a silicosis claim is a specialised and complex area of law, so it’s important that you have the right legal advice by your side.

Our expert silicosis solicitors have extensive experience handling these claims, with a long track record of successful claims and a deep understanding of the impact a silicosis diagnosis can have sufferers and their loved ones.

To find out if you have a claim, or to learn more about how our silicosis solicitors can support you, call us on 0330 041 5869 or get in touch online to arrange a call back at a time that suits you.