STONE-PROCESSING-INDUSTRY
SILICA
RESPIRATORY-DISEASES

OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURES TO FIBERS AND QUARTZ AT 19 CRUSHED STONE MINING AND MILLING OPERATIONS

Occupational exposures to fibers and quartz at crushed stone mining and milling operations were examined. Exposures to respirable dust, total dust, crystalline silica, asbestos, and mineral fibers were measured at 19 crushed stone operations in the United States. All sample measurements were below the Mine Safety and Health Administration permissible exposure limits for fibers; two of 10 samples, however, exceeded NIOSH recommended exposure limits. A variety of silicate mineral fibers were detected in traprock operations and at one granite operation. Crystalline silica was detected at 17 of the studied facilities; significant overexposures were measured at the majority of these crushed stone operations. Jobs with the most frequent and highest overexposures to crystalline silica included mill operators, mill laborers, and truck drivers. The authors conclude that many crushed stone quarries and mills present a significant silicosis hazard as well as a potential lung cancer risk.

American Journal of Industrial Medicine; 27(5):641-660, 1995. (23 references)

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