General Industry

• Silica. OSHA eTool. Provides instruction to evaluate silica exposure in the workplace, to obtain a measurement of silica concentration, to determine allowable levels and to take protective measures.
  • Probable Use of Silica. Lists industries, occupations, and materials where exposure to silica is likely.
• Silica. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Safety and Health Topic. Provides information about silica as well as links to related publications and references.
• Health Effects of Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2002-129, (2002, April). Examines the health risks and diseases associated with occupational exposures to respirable crystalline silica.
• "Crystalline Silica Exposure" Health Hazard Information for General Industry Employees. OSHA Publication 3176, (2002). Also available as a 37 KB PDF, 2 pages. A 42 KB PDF, 2 pages (Spanish version) is also available. Discusses what silica is, what are its hazards, and what employers and employees can do to protect against exposures to silica.
• Crystalline Silica Exposure Health Hazard Information. OSHA Fact Sheet, (2002), 52 KB PDF, 2 pages. A 75 KB PDF, 2 pages (Spanish version) is also available. Provides information regarding silicosis disease and exposures.
• Report on Carcinogens (RoC). US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Toxicology Program (NTP), (2002, December). Identifies and discusses agents, substances, mixtures, or exposure circumstances that may pose a hazard to human health by virtue of their carcinogenicity.
  • Silica, Crystalline (Respirable Size), 186 KB PDF, 2 pages. Discusses the carcinogenicity, properties, use, production, exposure, and regulations of crystalline silica.
• Crystalline Silica Primer. US Bureau of Mines, Branch of Industrial Minerals, (1992), 3.4 MB PDF, 54 pages. Provides a good starting point for anyone wanting to learn about crystalline silica. Includes information on silica and other pertinent regulatory information.
• Occupational Health Guideline for Crystalline Silica. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 81-123, (1981, January), 231 KB PDF, 5 pages. Provides evaluation information for employers, industrial hygienists, and physicians.
• Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Crystalline Silica. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 75-120, (1974). Contains information on health effects, environmental data, work practices, and development of the crystalline silica standard.
• Preventing Silicosis and Deaths from Sandblasting. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 92-102, (1992, August). Contains silica hazard information for abrasive blasting.
• Exposure to Silica Dust on Continuous Mining Operations Using Flooded-Bed Scrubbers. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 97-147, (1997, August). Describes the hazard of silica exposures when flooded-bed scrubbers are designed improperly, and provides recommendations.
• Preventing Silicosis and Death in Rock Drillers. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 92-107, (1992, August). Contains silica hazard information for rock drillers.
   
• Silica Flour: Silicosis (Crystalline Silica). National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 81-137, (1981, June 30). Describes hazards in the silica flour industry and provides control recommendations.

Construction Industry

• "Crystalline Silica Exposure" Health Hazard Information for Construction Employees. OSHA Publication 3177, (2002). Also available as a 38 KB PDF, 2 pages. A 42 KB PDF, 2 pages (Spanish version) is also available. Discusses what silica is, what are its hazards, and what employers and employees can do to protect against exposures to silica.
• Respirable Crystalline Silica Exposures During Tuck Pointing. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2000-113, (1999, November).
• Crystalline Silica Exposures in Construction. OSHA, (1997, July). Includes case studies and OSHA enforcement data.
• Mineo, John A. "Silicosis in Construction." Demolition Magazine, (1997, March-April). Summarizes silicosis in construction, including information on silicosis disease, sources of exposure, exposure limits, and control measures.
• Construction Workers: It's Not Just Dust! ... Prevent Silicosis. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 97-101, (1997). Also available as a 1.3 MB PDF, 6 pages. Summarizes the presence of silica exposures in the construction industry and describes prevention measures.
• Silicosis: Learn the Facts. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2004-108, (2004). Contains information on silica dust, silicosis disease, its symptoms, protective measures and which respirators to use.
• Flanagan, M.E., C. Loewenherz, and G. Kuhn. "Indoor Wet Concrete Cutting and Coring Exposure Evaluation." Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene 16.12(2001):1097-1100.
• Simcox, N.J., et al. "Silica Exposure During Granite Counter Top Fabrication." Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene 14.9(1999):577-582.
• Control Technology for Crystalline Silica Exposures in Construction: Wet Abrasive Blasting. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Report No. ECTB 247-11, (1999, December). Describes how a wet abrasive blasting system sufficiently reduced respirable crystalline silica exposures so that air purifying respirators could be used to control worker exposure to crystalline silica.
• Silicosis in Sandblasters: A Case Study Adapted for Use in U.S. High Schools. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2002-105, (2002, June). Provides a case study developed for use in teaching epidemiology to high school students. Includes basic information about the disease silicosis, potential routes of exposure to silica, and controls.
• Prevention of Silicosis Deaths. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 93-124, (1993). Describes silica hazards in sandblasting operations.
• Crystalline Silica Exposure in the Construction Industry. OSHA. Also available as a 55 KB PDF, 2 pages.

Health Effects

• Preventing Silicosis. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), US Department of Labor (DOL), (1996, October 31). Provides a general information sheet about silicosis.
• Silicosis Mortality and Silica Exposure. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), (1996, October), 2.3 MB PDF, 22 pages. Provides a report from NIOSH's Work-Related Lung Disease Surveillance Report and contains information on the mortality rates from silicosis.
• Goldsmith, David F. Are Other Health Effects of Silica Exposure Being Overlooked?.  (1997, July 8). Public Health Institute. Discusses other health effects of silica that are commonly overlooked.
• Surveillance for Silicosis, 1993 – Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) 46(SS1);13-28, (1997, January 31). Describes surveillance information on silicosis disease.
• Current Trends Occupational Silicosis – Ohio, 1989-1994. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) 44(04);61-64, (1995, February 3). Describes the investigation of a report of occupational silicosis in Ohio and summarizes the impact of hospital-based reporting on surveillance for silicosis in Ohio during 1989-1994.
• Martin, L. Pitfalls in Diagnosing Occupational Lung Disease (OLD) for Purposes of Compensation. (1995). Lists and summarizes several pitfalls that can occur when physicians diagnose occupational lung diseases.
• Lung, silicosis, polarized light microscopic. University of Utah, Department of Pathology. Shows a micrograph of a silicosis diseased lung.