Today, the HSE are welcoming delegates to their Buxton HQ for a one day event. Controlling Exposures to Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) is aimed at advising employers on steps they should take to reduce the risk to their workers arising from exposure to respirable crystalline silica during the course of their work.
In return the HSE will relieve every delegate of £560.
The HSE have been slow to react to concerns being raised by our friends at Hazards Magazine for over 10 years. In September 2014 Hazards Magazine in a special online report Hazards, number 148, 2019, highlighted the fact the HSE admits if the Workplace Exposure Limit remains at 0.1mg/m3 then workers exposed to RCS will have a 40% increased chance of contracting life limiting silicosis as well as other respiratory disease. This is a strange position for the HSE to take, when there is clear evidence that lowering the exposure limit to 0.05 mg/m3 would drastically reduce the risk to 600,000 UK workers regularly exposed to RTCS during the course of their work.
In recent years silicosis, a well-established occupational disease, came under the spotlight once more as a result of the use of re-engineered stone, used as a cheaper alternative to granite for kitchen worksurfaces. It also has far higher levels or RCS and when machined creates far higher levels of the dust throughout the work environment. Silicosis causes progressive scarring to the lung, is irreversible and can lead to death and like most occupational disease is easily preventable if employers take the the correct control measures
The HSE appears to have spent time supporting the industry’s position rather than supporting calls for a reduction in the workplace exposure level or inspecting workplaces producing this product and taking strong and effective enforcement when necessary to protect the health and safety of workers in the industry.
There have been prosecution however. In January 2025 the HSE concluded proceedings against Warmsworth Stone , resulting in a fine of £18,000 and £4,604 costs following serious breaches of health and safety legislation including to provide local exhaust ventilation to protect their workers. The pictures in the HSE press release highlight the horrific work conditions in that workplace, conditions that far too many works in the industry are exposed to during the course of thir work.
John Monks, former General Secretary of the TUC once said, in regard to health and safety, employers fall into four categories; criminal, clueless, compliant and committed. Delegates attending today’s event will be from employers who want to ensure they are doing the right thing, the committed and compliant.
Scottish Hazards is working with Action on Asbestos to highlight the dangers of RCS, raising awareness of the risks and highlighting the symptoms such as coughing, progressive shortness of breath and tiredness.
It is vitally important our message gets out to all workers, those in trade unions as well as those who, for whatever reason, are not. The non-unionised workers are more at risk and more likely be working for the clueless and criminal employers, they need our help.
If are you are experiencing the symptoms of silicosis or know of someone who may be, we are here to help, our helpline telephone number is 0800 0015 022.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.