Silicosis is the oldest occupational disease known to mankind. It is caused by breathing in silica, a natural substance found in most rocks, sands and clays, and in products such as bricks and concrete. Crushing, screening, moving, cutting, grinding, chasing etc of these materials can generate dust which often includes very small particles of respirable crystalline silica (RCS). These miniscule particles (one-twentieth the width of the average human hair) have the potential to do lasting damage to the lungs of workers.
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