Reducing Respirable Crystalline Silica effectively on construction sites

Mapping

Clients:
EFBWW, European Federation of Building and Woodworkers
FIEC, European Construction Industry Federation AISBL
Brussels, January 2022

Published in Croatian, Czech, English, French, German, Italian, Latvian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish

Design, layout, illustration

Dust is the permanent companion of all construction workers and dust is in principle a health threat. Some kinds of dust have disastrous health effects – like respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust.

The current European exposure limit value of 0.1 mg /m³ shall protect workers from negative health effects. Having an exposure limit value is one thing, making it a common practice is another thing. This mapping gives advice on how to reach the limit value for many specific construction activities each with its specific conditions of exposure and related prevention measures.

Reducing Respirable Crystalline Silica effectively
on construction sites

Report

CLR Studies/European Institute for Construction Labour Research, Brussels 2022

Design, layout, illustration

This EU funded research report was elaborated in the framework of a European social partner project entitled “Reducing Respirable Crystalline Silica Dust Effectively”, which aims to implement best practices in the prevention of exposure to quartz dust.

The report presents procedures and practices that ensure compliance, for most construction activities, with the EU occupational exposure limit value for RCS.

It discusses advanced practices and persisting challenges in the sector, based on collected exposure data, technical articles and practical experience on construction sites
from all over the world, focusing on Europe.