What is
Silica? General Safety with Tiles For an at-home DIYer - let’s keep it simple; wear a silica safe mask at all times and add the safety tips before an event free DIY. Remember, if you’re demolishing tiles, we need to ensure your safety and also that of your family, you don’t want silica dust flying around the house.
Breathing protection tips:
◊ Water suppression uses water at the point of dust generation to dampen down or suppress dust before it is released into the air. Combined with respirator masks and appropriate tools, this helps reduce the risk of breathing any harmful dust.
◊ DO NOT ‘clean up’ with compressed air or by
dry sweeping. Dust should be removed using an industrial HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter vacuum or dampened down and removed.
◊ Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) needs
to comply with the standard AS/NZS 1716 – Respiratory protective devices. Check the product information to make sure RPE is AS/ NZS 1716 compliant.
Following our tips below will keep everyone safe on the job, if you need any more expert advice, we’d love to help you on 1800 4 TILES or you can pop into any of our 110+ stores.
◊ No RPE can prevent all silica dust from being
breathed in. It should be used in combination with other dust controls.
◊ RPE cannot protect you if it doesn’t fit properly. ◊ PPE such as RPE, aprons and boots should be
cleaned after each use to ensure dust does not accumulate. For example, by using a lowpressure hose or wiping down with wet rags. Work clothes should not gather dust if exposure is appropriately controlled during processing work. However, if silica dust has settled on clothing, the contaminated clothing should be dampened, carefully removed and washed.
◊ RPE needs to have at least a P2 filter and be
tested to ensure it fits correctly. RPE that requires a facial seal, such as half-face respirators, should not be used by people with beards or even facial stubble. Where facial hair interferes with the fit of the RPE, a powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) that does not rely on a facial seal needs to be used.
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What is
Silica? Many common building materials contain silica. Silica is a natural mineral or building block that makes up 59% of the earth’s crust and is the main ingredient in the vast majority of natural stones such as granite, slate and sandstone as well as in sand and soil and clay. Because they are made from natural materials, silica is found in natural stone, engineered stone, bricks, tiles, mortar, cement, concrete slabs and blocks in varying amounts. There are different forms of silica but crystalline silica below a certain size can cause serious health problems if the dust is inhaled or swallowed. The amount of crystalline silica in products can vary. Indicative examples include:
◊ ceramic tiles: 5% to 45% ◊ engineered stone: 80% to 95% ◊ quartzose sandstone: 70% to 90% ◊ granite: 25% to 60% ◊ slate: 20% to 40% ◊ autoclaved aerated concrete: 20% to 40% ◊ concrete: less than 30% ◊ brick: 5% to 15% ◊ pre-mixed adhesives: 0% ◊ powder based adhesives: 30-50% ◊ sanded grout: 30-50% ◊ non-sanded and epoxy grout: 0% ◊ waterproofing membranes: 0-30% ◊ silicone: 0% ◊ screeds and smoothing compounds: 30-50% ◊ primer: 0% Crystalline silica dust can be harmful when it’s inhaled over a long period of time at low to moderate levels, or for short periods at high levels. Silica is safe undisturbed but if you create dust by cutting, drilling or grinding materials that contain silica (and also during the crushing or demolition and disposal of these products), breathing the dust can cause silicosis, a form of occupational lung disease caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust causing inflammation and scarring in the lungs.
some people. For your health and safety if you are working with tiles, removing an old tile floor or cutting them in any way, you must wear the correct protective equipment (PPE) such as goggles, earmuffs and especially the correct type of face mask filtered respirator. Ensure the area is safe for bystanders who must also be protected with PPE equipment.
Cutting Tiles Safely Tiles are made from a combination of clays, feldspars and other naturally occurring minerals, some containing silica. The raw materials are mixed together and fired at high temperatures. As a final inert product, they will contain small amounts of sintered crystalline silica which is harmless unless it is finely ground as dust and inhaled. Dust containing crystalline silica can be produced by dry mechanical cutting and grinding of concrete, stone, brick and ceramic tile during installation or by operations such as demolition and disposal. Grinding back or levelling the substrate along with the mixing of grouts and adhesives may also produce harmful dust if inhaled. Wherever possible, cut tiles using a score and snap cutter or wet saw. Avoid dry cutting or grinding with an electric grinder. If this cannot be avoided, use equipment fitted with integrated dust collection systems or appropriate exhaust ventilation away from the operator. Use an appropriate, approved, well-fitting respirator whenever other controls are not effective to keep dust below workplace exposure standards for airborne contaminants limits (these are available from (Safe Work Australia or State-based WorkSafe Agencies). Work Safe Australia or your State based WorkSafe Agency can advise recommended exposure standards for airborne contaminants.
Silica dust particles under 10um can get deep into your lungs and stay there, permanently damaging the lung tissue and eventually leading to serious lung diseases in #ichosebeaumonts
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