Free Air Sampling Offer for Silica Dust Busters 

Workers who inhale respirable crystalline silica (RCS) are exposed to the risk of developing serious lung diseases, including lung cancer and silicosis. In construction, that exposure can result from working with concrete, rock, asphalt, drywall and gravel, among other materials. The BCCSA is offering employers an opportunity to receive free air sampling for RCS at their construction sites. The offer is part of a program designed to increase the data available to the BCCSA’s Silica Control Tool® (SCT). This proprietary tool is designed to help employers to reduce silica dust exposures to below the allowable limit, by providing an exposure control plan (ECP) for each activity. As part of the air sampling offer, researchers will measure silica dust in the air, as well as the silica dust to which workers may be exposed. The data will be shared with employers and incorporated into the SCT database to improve the tool’s ability to provide detailed ECPs for a broader range of activities and materials. If you’re an employer who wants to receive a free silica test, email silicatool@bccsa.ca or call 604-636-0327 for more information ■