Crystalline silica – general fact sheet (Simplified Chinese)

What is crystalline silica?

结晶二氧化硅是什么？

Crystalline silica is a naturally occurring mineral found in most rocks, sand, clay, and in some manufactured products such as bricks, concrete, tile and engineered stone.  In its stable solid form, crystalline silica is not harmful.

结晶二氧化硅是大多数岩石、沙子、粘土中天然存在的矿物质，也存在于砖、混凝土、瓷砖和人造石等产品中。结晶二氧化硅在稳定固体形式下无害。

Where is crystalline silica used?

结晶二氧化硅在哪里使用？

Crystalline silica is a very common mineral used in manufacturing building products and construction materials. Manufactured materials containing silica include fibre cement sheets, bricks, tiles, and cement. Workers can also come across crystalline silica when undertaking construction works that require excavation or tunnelling through quartz containing rocks such as shale and sandstone.

结晶二氧化硅是制造建筑产品和建筑材料十分常用的矿物质。含有二氧化硅的人造材料包括纤维水泥板、砖块、瓷砖和水泥。在需要开挖或穿过石英岩（如页岩和砂岩）的工程施工时，工人可能会接触结晶二氧化硅。

How can crystalline silica harm workers?

结晶二氧化硅对工人有何危害？

Very fine particles of crystalline silica dust present a hazard when inhaled into the lungs. Airborne dust is most likely to occur when materials or products containing silica are cut, sanded, drilled or any other action (task) that creates fine dust. Exposure to RCS dust can have serious health effects depending how much dust a worker breathes in and for how long.  These health effects can include:

• silicosis – a scarring of the lung which can result in a severe shortness of breath and is not reversible. Severe cases can result in complications leading to death
• lung cancer
• kidney disease.

Applying risk controls such as minimising the generation of airborne silica dust can reduce hazardous exposures and prevent illness in the workplace.

诸如结晶二氧化硅粉尘等非常微小的颗粒被吸入肺部时，就会造成危害。对含有二氧化硅的材料或产品切割、打磨、钻孔时，或进行任何可能产生微小粉尘的工作时，很有可能产生空气粉尘。根据不同的因素，例如工人吸入粉尘的数量多少以及时间长短，结晶二氧化硅会导致以下健康影响：

• 矽肺：肺部疤痕可能造成严重呼吸短促，而且是不可逆的。严重的病例会导致并发症而致死
• 肺癌
• 肾脏疾病

采取适当的控制措施，例如尽可能减少空气中二氧化硅粉尘的产生，可以减少接触危险而预防工作场所的疾病。

How to protect yourself and workers

如何保护自己和保护工人

• Any worker involved in high-risk silica work activities or workers who may be at risk of exposure to RCS because of that work activity must complete an approved crystalline silica training course
• Provide all workers with information and instruction on how to work safely with silica products in the workplace
• Eliminate tasks that generate dust where possible
• Apply water suppression systems to reduce dust generation
• Use local exhaust ventilation systems to capture and remove dust at the source
• Use dust capture systems on portable tools
• Instruct workers in the correct use, selection, fit, and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment
• Avoid using compressed air to remove or clean settled dust
• Avoid dry sweeping where possible
• Follow instructions and controls outlined in safety data sheets and product labels

• 任何参与高风险二氧化硅工作活动的工人或可能因该工作活动而面临 可吸入结晶二氧化硅接触风险的工人都必须完成经批准的结晶二氧化硅培训课程
• 向所有工人提供有关如何在工作场所安全使用二氧化硅产品的信息和指导
• 尽可能取消会产生空气粉尘的任务
• 应用洒水系统以减少粉尘的产生
• 使用本地排气通风系统来收集、清除源头处的空气粉尘
• 在便携式工具上使用空气粉尘收集装置
• 指导和培训工作人员正确安装、使用和维护呼吸器
• 避免使用压缩空气来清除或清洁沉积的空气粉尘
• 尽可能避免干扫
• 遵循安全数据表和产品标签中的指示和控制措施

Monitoring requirements

监控要求

• Health monitoring must be provided for workers who are involved in any ongoing work that creates RCS dust, even if respiratory protection is used to control exposure
• Air monitoring must be undertaken when:
  • it is necessary to determine if workers are at risk from exposure to RCS, or
  • you’re unsure if the amount of airborne RCS at the workplace exceeds the Workplace Exposure Standard (WES) levels.

• *若工人参与任何产生可吸入结晶二氧化硅粉尘的持续性工作，即便已使使用了呼吸器来控制接触，也必须为他们提供健康监测
• 下列情况必须使用空气监测：
  o须确定工人是否面临接触可吸入结晶二氧化硅的风险时；或
  o你不确定工作场所空气中的可吸入结晶二氧化硅量是否超过工作场所暴露标准 (WES) 。