Silica regulation is here!

Australia’s first silica dust code of practice for the construction industry came into effect in Queensland on May 1st, 2023, requiring businesses for the first time to actively manage the dust they generate.

Here are some important points you should know about respirable crystalline silica (RCS):

• The most common form of crystalline silica is quartz, which is found in just about every modern building material. Inhaling RCS in the fine dust generated by cutting and grinding these materials can lead to silicosis – an incurable lung disease known to cause disability and death.
  
  
• For resin flooring, the risk of respirable crystalline silica is perhaps even greater because our industry has relied heavily on the use of ultra-fine silica flour to not only make coatings, but as a powder that’s mixed onsite to form grouts, slurries, screeds, mortars, coving and patching materials.
  
  
• Eliminating the risk is the most effective form of control and it sits at the top of what’s known as the hierarchy of control. The code itself recommends all businesses seek to eliminate the use of silica first.
  
  
• For almost two decades, Real World Epoxies has manufactured high-quality floor coatings that don’t use silica, including Ezypoxy Rollcoat and the Jaxxon protective floor coatings.

Read the full article on silica and how we can help your business with the new code – How are you managing respirable silica?

Take care and keep smiling,

Real World Epoxies