La sílice cristalina es un mineral común que se encuentra en la corteza terrestre. Materiales como la arena, la piedra, el hormigón y el mortero contienen sílice cristalina. También se utiliza para fabricar productos como vidrio, alfarería, cerámica, ladrillos y piedra artificial.

Respirable crystalline silica – very small particles at least 100 times smaller than ordinary sand you might find on beaches and playgrounds – is created when cutting, sawing, grinding, drilling, and crushing stone, rock, concrete, brick, block, and mortar. Activities such as abrasive blasting with sand; sawing brick or concrete; sanding or drilling into concrete walls; grinding mortar; manufacturing brick, concrete blocks, stone countertops, or ceramic products; and cutting or crushing stone result in worker exposures to respirable crystalline silica dust. Industrial sand used in certain operations, such as foundry work and hydraulic fracturing (fracking), is also a source of respirable crystalline silica exposure. About 2.3 million people in the U.S. are exposed to silica at work.

Los trabajadores que inhalan estas pequeñísimas partículas de sílice cristalina corren un mayor riesgo de desarrollar enfermedades graves relacionadas con la sílice, entre ellas:

• Silicosis, una enfermedad pulmonar incurable que puede provocar discapacidad y muerte;
• Cáncer de pulmón;
• Enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC); y
• Enfermedad renal.

To better protect workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica, in 2017 OSHA issued two new respirable crystalline silica standards: one for construction, and the other for general industry and maritime. OSHA began enforcing most provisions of the standard for construction on September 23, 2017 and this course is in compliance with the training requirements listed in the standard.