Silica Exposure and Associated Illnesses

Silica exposure is almost as dangerous as asbestos exposure. Silica is a harmful substance and a natural element. This makes it harder to detect and avoid.

People who work in high-risk environments are more vulnerable to developing silica-related illnesses, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis, and kidney disease.

This article offers a brief overview of the most common silica-related illnesses. It also discusses the symptoms and treatment of illnesses such as silicosis, lung cancer, and tuberculosis.

If you have developed silicosis or another illness related to silica exposure, you may have a legal claim. A personal injury attorney in your area can assess your situation and advise on next steps. If you have a valid claim, your attorney will advocate for you throughout the process and fight for fair compensation.

What Is Silica?

Silica (silicon dioxide) is a natural chemical in dust, soil, and rocks. Construction and building materials contain silica and silica dust. This is why so many construction workers suffer from silica exposure.

Some occupational activities that increase a worker’s risk of developing silicosis and other lung diseases include:

• Sandblasting
• Abrasive blasting
• Foundry work
• Quarrying

Workplace exposure without personal protective equipment puts workers at severe risk of silica-related diseases. The health effects of occupational exposure to silica can even prove deadly.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), crystalline silica exposure is as dangerous as asbestos and smoking. It also causes the same types of medical issues, including lung cancer, bronchitis, and tuberculosis (TB).

You may have a legal claim if you get sick from inhaling silica or silica dust. It all depends on whether you can prove how you came into contact with the harmful chemicals. It also depends on whether your attorney can prove that silica exposure is responsible for your illness.

Silica and Silica Dust Are Dangerous

When you inhale silica or silica dust, particles enter tiny air sacs in your lungs. Millions of workers in the U.S. encounter this breathable (or “respirable”) crystalline silica dust. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 100 American workers die annually from silicosis.

Silicosis is a chronic lung disease you may develop from constant exposure to silica. It’s a pneumoconiosis condition. This is a general term for any lung disease you suffer from inhaling dust particles.

Today, exposure to silica dust on the job is as dangerous to human health as other known carcinogens, such as asbestos and smoking. Those encountering large amounts of silica dust are also at a greater risk of developing lung cancer, tuberculosis, and bronchitis.

Understanding Silicosis

Silicosis is an irreversible, disabling, and sometimes fatal lung disease you can get from respirable crystalline silica overexposure. It is a scarring and hardening of lung tissue from inhaling crystalline silica particles. These particles can cause your lungs to form scar tissue. This reduces your lungs’ ability to extract oxygen from the air, making it hard to breathe.

The disease can cause permanent shortness of breath and can make victims more susceptible to further respiratory complications like bronchitis and lung cancer.

In some cases, silicosis can be fatal. Unfortunately, there is no medical treatment for silicosis. You can try to prevent it, but doctors cannot cure the condition. You are at the mercy of your employer. Your employer is in the best position to prevent worker exposure.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are three types of silicosis. These include the following:

• Chronic silicosis: This develops after exposure to silica for more than ten years
• Accelerated silicosis: People who come into contact with silica dust for three to five years develop this type of illness
• Acute silicosis: This form of the disease can appear within weeks or months of encountering crystalline silica and crystalline silica dust

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), over a million U.S. workers are exposed to crystalline silica annually. Sadly, more than 250 American workers die from silicosis every year. There is no cure for silicosis. However, it is 100% preventable if your employer reduces or eliminates exposure.

Symptoms of Silicosis

The symptoms of silicosis include:

• Harsh, dry cough
• Chest pain
• Trouble breathing
• Tiredness
• Shortness of breath

Your doctor will run diagnostic tests to determine if you have silicosis. These include:

• Chest X-ray
• CT scan of the chest
• Lung function test (Spirometry)

Unfortunately, your doctor can do nothing to reverse the damage from silica exposure. But there are treatment options. Your doctor may prescribe inhalers or oxygen therapy.

Silica Exposure and Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is another silica-related disease you can develop after long-term exposure to silica. The incidence of lung cancer in people who encounter silica in mining, manufacturing, construction, and similar jobs is much higher than in the general non-smoking population.

The most common symptoms of lung cancer include:

• Coughing
• Persistent chest pains
• Weight loss
• Hoarseness
• Anemia

Although lung cancer is a severe disease, it can be treatable depending on the type of cancer (small cell or non-small cell) and its stage of progression.

Silica Exposure and Bronchitis

People exposed to silica dust are at an increased risk of developing bronchitis. Bronchitis is an inflammation of the air passages between the windpipe and the lungs. Bronchitis can last for weeks or even months. It is one of the most uncomfortable illnesses to deal with.

This inflammation causes swelling and mucus production, which often results in a severe cough. Patients suffering from bronchitis due to silica exposure often have a recurring form known as chronic bronchitis.

This condition, also called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), often lasts for months and can worsen over time.

Symptoms of chronic bronchitis include:

• Persistent cough
• Fatigue
• Abnormal shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Frequent colds or respiratory infections
• Headaches

Sadly, there isn’t much your doctor can do to treat your bronchitis. They may offer you steroids and an inhaler. Usually, patients have no choice but to wait it out and use over-the-counter remedies.

Silica Exposure and Tuberculosis

People exposed to silica dust are at greater risk of developing tuberculosis. Dormant tuberculosis (TB) germs can become active in people with weakened immunity and body defenses. This results in an infection, which occurs most often in the lungs.

Symptoms of TB include:

• Persistent cough
• Fever
• Weight loss
• Night sweats

These illnesses may appear when you least expect them. So, you should be very careful when dealing with silica dust in the workplace. Get help as soon as you feel any symptoms.

What Other Health Issues May You Encounter?

The illnesses described here are only some of the adverse events related to silica. As stated by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a wide range of medical issues are related to silica exposure.

It doesn’t matter if your employer issues a disclaimer regarding occupational illnesses. They cannot avoid liability if they put you at risk. Epidemiological studies have shown that silica dust exposure can also cause a host of other illnesses, including:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Scleroderma
• Lung damages
• Emphysema
• Autoimmune disease
• Pneumoconiosis
• Fibrosis
• Renal disease

Workers at Risk of Silica Exposure

Certain workers are at a higher risk of silica exposure. This also applies to people in the rock and natural stone industries.

Some of the occupations that put workers at an increased risk of occupational exposure include:

• Foundry workers
• Abrasive blasting
• Ceramic work
• Miners
• Dry sweeping of silica dust
• Quarrying
• Tunneling

If you work in these industries, you’re at a greater risk of developing varying types of silicosis. It depends on the types of rock you work with. It also depends on the years of exposure. Ideally, your employer would be as concerned with workers’ health as with profit. But this isn’t always the case.

Reducing Exposure to Silica

If you work in an at-risk industry, you must take specific steps to protect yourself. For example, you must always:

• Use adequate respiratory protection, including face masks and other safety devices.
• Wear disposable or washable protective clothes at work and shower.
• Change into clean clothes before leaving the worksite to prevent contamination of your car, home, and family.

You must also report your employer if they don’t meet legal silica standards. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found that many companies don’t meet OSHA’s standards. The problem is that detecting whether your employer is operating at safe silica exposure levels can be tricky.

Detecting Silica Exposure

If you suspect that you have silicosis or a related lung disease, seek immediate medical attention. Your health care provider can perform various tests, but there’s no guarantee they’ll detect silica dust.

According to the American Lung Association, chest X-rays do not show silica dust. But they can detect early signs of certain lung diseases. Other tests, such as lung function tests and high-resolution CT scans, can also see lung changes caused by silica dust exposure. They may detect nodules in your lungs. If so, your doctor will likely order more tests to confirm your diagnosis.

Silica Exposure: Legal Remedies

You may get legal compensation if you experience health problems from silica exposure. Some situations in which you’re highly likely to recover damages include the following:

• Employers may be legally responsible for your silicosis and related diseases if they don’t warn you of the dangers of silica dust exposure. They may also be liable if they don’t take adequate safety measures. For example, if your employer doesn’t supply you with personal protective equipment (PPE), they may be liable for damages. These cases usually involve workers’ compensation claims. Some companies are responsible for failing to follow OSHA’s permissible exposure limits.
• Suppliers and manufacturers of silica-based products, such as blasting sand, can be liable if they make an unreasonably unsafe product. They can also be liable if their production process doesn’t meet minimum health and safety standards.
• Equipment manufacturers, such as sandblasting equipment manufacturers, may be liable if they don’t manufacture the equipment correctly.
• Safety equipment manufacturers can be liable if their equipment is defective or ineffective.

An experienced attorney will assess the facts of your particular case and protect your legal rights to compensation.

A Personal Injury Attorney Can Help With a Silicosis Claim

If you are experiencing health problems due to working with or near silica dust, you should speak with an attorney to assess your legal rights. They’ll review your claim and let you know how best to proceed. If your case has merit, you may recover compensation for your injuries.

FindLaw’s directory of personal injury attorneys can get you started. Select your state or city to review contact and ratings information for local experts. Your search results will also link you to additional details about the attorneys’ experience with federal cases. Many attorneys offer free consultations.