this glass industry Like many other industries, it has different occupational hazards that must be addressed.
However, in recent years this industry, and others like it, have faced additional risks resulting in currently incurable lung diseases, Silicosis.
in this case glass manufacturing The danger lies in the dust generated by the use of different raw materials in the production process.
It is a combination of different kinds of chemical products and a considerable number of chemical substances. Crystalline silica. The dust produced by the fusion of the two is very fine, so it is relatively easy to spread in the air of the work space.
If installed without adequate ventilation, air filtration or similar systems, the resulting dust may move across its entire surface, affecting any professional without adequate protection.
Silica dust is not a recent discovery. In fact, silica is well known scientifically as a benign substance, 12% of the Earth’s crust.
when problems arise Professionals working in the glass industry You are exposed to this silica dust for a long time and breathe it in.
little by little, Inhalation of silica dust It reaches the lungs. As it passes, it can cause damage to the area of the body where it resides.
Over time, this dust can affect the respiratory system, potentially leading to chronic bronchitis and other diseases related to that system as well as other organs such as the kidneys.
Silicosis Regulations for the Glass Industry
Air quality in the area glass industry It’s something you have long cared about, too. However, a new regulation in 2016 puts particular emphasis on the risks posed by silica dust.
This new regulation is stricter and the main goal is to end silicosis cases in the industry as quickly as possible.
The exposed specification is given by OSHA (OSHA is its English abbreviation), effective from June 2016. Companies are given until 2018 to implement all measures that will help curb silicosis cases.
A number of specialized agencies have published supplementary information to help develop these and other actions in the workplace.
For example, limits on the amount of silica in breathable air Eight-hour shifts, 50 micrograms per cubic meter. If the concentration is high, the amount of dust in the air has to be reduced and there are different tools for this.
Then, in 2021, Order of 1 July TED/723/2021. Among them, more detailed regulations and more precise actions have been made on the “protection of workers from the risk of inhalation of respirable dust and crystalline silica” that any company must guarantee.
This is a broad set of measures aimed at preventing silicosis and notifying any possible cases of exposure risk.
Such is the complexity of it, from INS (National Silicosis Institute) It was considered appropriate to publish on 13 December 2022 an explanatory document entitled “Technical guidance on the prevention of risks from exposure to respirable crystalline silica in the workplace”.
this Precaution The following actions are detailed in these documents and apply both to companies associated with the glass industry and to any other company at risk of generating respirable silica dust:
- It is necessary to identify any silicosis risk cases and apply official analysis to determine their severity.
- Companies must take the necessary steps to prevent or, if applicable, reduce existing silica dust exposure.
- In addition, hygiene and personal protective measures are necessary in case of occasional accidental contact.
- Regular health checks and risk assessments are necessary.
- All analyzes performed must be properly documented.
- These collected data must be made available to the appropriate agencies such as the mining sector and the National Silicosis Institute (INS).
- In addition, the need to maintain transparency in the training and information of company professionals was noted.
he inertial navigation system It details the measure at each point in more detail, and moreover, it shows those companies that could apply the measure to substitute or find alternatives to the use of crystalline silica in their work.