Silica Hub - Resources for Senior Leaders

Silica Dust Resources for Senior Leaders

What You Need to Know:

Repeated exposure to Respirable Crystaline Silica Dust (RCS), can cause Silicosis, which is an irreversible and, in most cases, fatal disease. Silica is being likened to Asbestos, and as such needs to be handled with the same extreme caution. The problem is, Silicosis has a long-latency period, and so as soon as symptoms are noticable, it’s probably already too late.

As such, your site team must conduct risk assessments and implement suitable control measures. Any control measures your site team implement, must be effective in keeping exposure below the Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL) (0.1 mg/m3 respirable dust, averaged over 8 hours), and the HSE have the right to come onto site to check your compliance.

In 2020, an All-Party Parliamentary Report was launched into Silica Dust (RCS), and since then, Silica has continued to hit the news headlines on a global scale. On 1st July 2024, Australia completely banned engineered stone due to the Silica risk, but some argue this is just the tip of the iceberg with 13 new silica-related deaths already reported in Australia in Q1 2025.

It is therefore inevitable that UK regulations will soon become more stringent, so as leaders you should be keeping ahead of the curve and making sure your response to Silica exposure is already nailed down tightly.

Employer Responsibilities in Relation to Silica Dust (RCS):

As a Senior Leader you not only have a legal duty of care to your employees, but hopefully you will feel a moral duty of care as well.
Employers must comply with The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) (as amended).
Risk assessments must be conducted, and a written record of the risk assessment must be kept on file if you employ more than five people. Any significant findings from the Risk Assessment must be communicated to employees.
Sites should be adhering to the hierarchy of control when managing hazards; eliminate, substitute, engineering controls, administrative controls and PPE/ RPE. This may require senior leaders to have early discussions with the designers on the project.
Employees must be properly trained on the processes, procedures and use of equipment to ensure they are aware of the risks.
Risk Assessments and the corresponding control measures should be reviewed regularly, especially if there have been any changes to the activity, processes, materials, location, legislation, or if any incidents have occurred.
Where appropriate, health surveillance must be implemented. The HSE's "Health Surveillance For Those Exposed to RCS" was recently updated (click the hyperlink to view).

A Leader’s Role in Creating a Cultural Change:

Whether we are looking specifically at Silica Dust (RCS) or more generally at Health and Safety, the underlying role of the leader remains the same: It is our responsibility to establish and maintain a strong commitment from our site teams and supply chain, to follow best practice and seek continuous improvement. We need to nurture a culture of positivity and enthusiasm around health and safety, rather than it being seen as a chore or a hindrance.

Demonstrating Leadership:

In 2024, Lauren Miller (Senior Occupational H&S Advisor at BAM Construction) spoke at ‘Action on Site Health – Scotland’ about how to lead effectively. Lauren explained the success she has had with implementing a servant leadership style with the guys on the ground, which has built a mutual level of respect and the ability to collaborate better. Lauren also explained the importance of arranging tours with directors to get them interested in what you are doing, help them understand the importance, and ultimately get their backing. Listen to the full presentation (8 mins).

Creating a Health-Conscious Culture:

In 2023, Dr Jennifer Lunt spoke at ‘Action on Site Health’ about creating a health-conscious culture. As a psychologist, she explained why some workers make snap decisions based on convenient immediate benefits, rather than making decisions with long-term health in mind. She also offered some suggestions on how we can reduce the latency gap and ensure that hazard exposure is at the forefront of our site team's minds. Download the whitepaper to learn more about creating a health-conscious culture.

Implementing a Health & Wellbeing Maturity Matrix:

In 2023, Balfour Beatty shared a copy of their ‘Health & Wellbeing Maturity Matrix’ with HCLG members. It is a self-assessment tool designed to help individuals improve their understanding of occupational health and wellbeing, take ownership of their own development journey, and take tangible steps forward to better protect themselves and others at work. The webinar recording is still available to watch back, and there are templates available to help you create your own ‘Health & Wellbeing Maturity Matrix’.

Our Final Note on Exposure to RCS:

Remember Lauren’s point about being humble; the guys on the tools are often more knowledgeable about site activities and processes than we are, so listen, take in their feedback, and work with them to ensure they buy into health and safety control measures and the overall strategy. A collaborative team is not only a high functioning team, but one that remains safe and healthy.