Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) Monitoring

What is Respirable Crystalline Silica

Crystalline Silica is a common mineral found in materials such as sandstone, clay and quartz. It is also a constituent in many construction materials such as bricks, tiles, mortar, concrete and engineered stone for kitchen worktops. The production or processing  of any of these can generate dust, the finest of which can contain Respirable Crystaline Silica (RCS).

RCS is a highly dangerous substance and can cause lung complications such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung fibrosis known as silicosis. It can also lead to lung cancer.

Workers completing tasks such as sanding, grinding or cutting are at high risk of silica exposure and must take measures to mitigate those risks as part of the 2002 COSHH Regulations. Validate Consulting is committed to keeping your employees protected through comprehensive and meticulous testing and advice.

What to expect

Our Air Monitoring services will be undertaken by a highly trained and experienced Occupational Hygiene Consultant who will come to your site. Before the assessment we will agree a scope of works extensively and decide on the number of samples necessary and the distribution between personal and static samples.

We will conduct an assessment for the scope of work and provide a Risk Assessment and Method Statement for the monitoring taking place. When the consultant comes to site, they will make observations and understand the sources of exposure and the control measures currently used. They will then assess their effectiveness using the measurement data gathered.

They will take personal exposure samples as per Methods for the Determination of Hazardous Substances (MDHS) 14/4. Samples will subsequently be sent to the lab for analysis, in accordance with MDHS 101. Once we have the results your consultant will create a comprehensive technical report.

What do our reports cover

We will provide:

• A detailed executive summary of the work caried out.
• An explanation of the legal requirements and workplace exposure limits (WELs).
• Clear and comprehensive recordings of the assessment’s results including where and when they were taken.
• A conclusion with specific recommendations separated out for each area of the site so it is clear what action should be taken and relevant photos to highlight targeted improvements.