HSE CoSHH Essentials – Quarries: Silica

Task-Specific Guidance for Controlling Respirable Crystalline Silica in Quarrying Operations

LEVCentral Expert Commentary

Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) remains one of the most significant occupational health hazards within the quarrying industry. Activities such as drilling, crushing, screening, grinding and the handling of silica-containing materials can generate large quantities of fine airborne dust capable of penetrating deep into the lungs. Long-term exposure is associated with silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer and other serious respiratory diseases.

To help employers comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations, HSE has developed the QY Series of COSHH Essentials guidance sheets. Rather than providing general advice, the series examines individual quarrying tasks and explains the engineering controls, Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV), water suppression systems, enclosed operator cabins, housekeeping and management arrangements required to achieve adequate control of exposure.

For LEV professionals, the QY Series is particularly valuable because it demonstrates that dust control in quarries frequently relies upon a combination of engineering controls. Whilst LEV is appropriate for some fixed plant and processing operations, many quarrying activities are better controlled using water suppression, enclosed cabs with filtered air supplies or process enclosure. This reinforces one of the key principles of occupational hygiene:

The most appropriate engineering control depends upon the process—not the industry.

View HSE Quarries (QY) Series

View the HSE Quarries (QY) Series

Individual Guidance Sheets in the QY Series

The HSE Quarries Series comprises the following task-specific guidance sheets:

Guidance Sheet	Topic
QY0	Advice for Managers
QY1	Rock Drilling
QY2	Excavating and Haulage
QY3	Crushing
QY4	Drying and Cooling
QY5	Dry Screening
QY6	Dry Grinding
QY7	Jumbo Bag Filling (500–1500 kg)
QY8	Silica Flour – Small Bag (15–50 kg) Filling and Transfer
QY9	Mineral Powders – Small Bag (15–50 kg) Filling and Transfer
QY10	Cleaning Up Silica Dusts
QY11	Control Cabins and Vehicle Cabs

Each sheet focuses on one particular quarrying activity, enabling Duty Holders to identify the engineering controls and working practices recommended by HSE for that task.

Key Learning Points

The guidance explains:

The health risks associated with respirable crystalline silica (RCS).
Practical methods for preventing or controlling dust generation.
The use of water suppression systems during drilling, crushing and screening.
Where Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) is appropriate.
The design and maintenance of enclosed operator cabins with filtered air supplies.
Safe bag filling and powder handling techniques.
Dust control during housekeeping and clean-up activities.
Maintenance of engineering controls.
Appropriate use of Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE).
Health surveillance for workers exposed to silica dust.
Training, supervision and management responsibilities.

Source Document Information

Organisation: Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

Document: COSHH Essentials – Quarries: Silica (QY Series)

Document Type: COSHH Essentials Direct Advice Sheets

Primary Topics: Respirable Crystalline Silica, Quarrying, Dust Suppression, LEV, Water Suppression, COSHH

Audience: Quarry Operators, Quarry Managers, LEV Designers, Occupational Hygienists, Health & Safety Professionals, Production Supervisors, Plant Engineers and Duty Holders.

LEVCentral Perspective

The QY Series demonstrates that successful dust control in quarrying is achieved through process-specific engineering solutions rather than relying on a single control technique.

Unlike many manufacturing environments, quarrying often takes place outdoors and involves large mobile plant. Consequently, Local Exhaust Ventilation is only one part of the engineering toolbox. Water suppression, enclosed and filtered operator cabs, process enclosure and good housekeeping frequently provide more practical and effective control than extraction alone.

For LEV professionals, this series provides an important reminder that engineering controls should always be selected according to how the contaminant is generated. Crushing plant, drilling rigs, bagging systems and grinding operations each require different approaches to dust control.

The guidance also aligns closely with the philosophy behind the OXYL8 Defensible Commissioning Framework™. Effective exposure control is achieved by combining competent engineering design with proper maintenance, inspection, supervision and documented evidence that the controls continue to perform as intended.

Further Resources

Recommended Learning

Thought Leadership

The QY Series highlights an important lesson that extends far beyond quarrying: the best engineering control is not always Local Exhaust Ventilation.

Where fixed plant is involved, LEV may provide the optimum solution. However, for mobile quarrying operations, drilling rigs and large crushing plants, water suppression, enclosed cabs and process isolation can often provide superior protection.

This illustrates a fundamental principle of the Hierarchy of Control: the objective is not to install extraction wherever possible, but to select the engineering control that most effectively reduces exposure for the specific task.

For LEV professionals, the quarry guidance serves as a valuable reminder that good occupational hygiene begins with understanding the process.

Only then can the most appropriate combination of LEV, water suppression, enclosure and other engineering controls be selected to provide effective, proportionate and defensible protection against respirable crystalline silica.