As everyone should be able to breathe safely without risking poor health outcomes when undertaking construction works (i.e. Repair, Maintenance, Retrofitting) involving respirable crystalline silica (RCS) either commercially or professionally or at home, we need to create healthier, more accessible, and informed communities for all. The aim of this talk is to advocate for safer outdoor and indoor air quality as a critical accessibility and awareness issue. 

The talk will take you through the dangers of RCS (occupationally and non-occupationally), the subsequent direct and indirect impacts on health and wellbeing, economic, social and environmental, what the law says, how employers can reduce exposure, types of respiratory protective equipment (RPE) to consider for protection from silica dust and training needs. In addition, this session explores wider silica-related challenges, offering deeper insight into the practical, legal, and health dimensions of managing RCS. It will conclude with an overview of the CIOB funded project - the ReACT Toolkit - comprising of Silica Awareness for Construction Excellence (SAFE) tool (rSAFE for residents, pSAFE for professionals, cSAFE for clients) and an RCS skills training needs analysis (RiSK) playbook for professionals and clients.