Silica dust, also known as crystalline silica, is a material found in many natural materials such as stone, clay and gravel, but most often found in quartz.
These are then used in the manufacture of common household items such as bricks, tiles and concrete.
Taken by themselves, these items are harmless but when producing them (and creating dust from the aforementioned raw materials) silica dust can be produced.
If you breathe in respirable crystalline silica over a long enough period of time, you may eventually be diagnosed with a host of illnesses.
Being exposed to respirable crystalline silica can lead to numerous ailments, including silicosis – which scars the lung tissue and makes them less flexible, increasing respiratory difficulties and doing long-term lung damage.
In addition, you may also develop heart and kidney disease, or even lung cancer, as a result of exposure.
Again, silicosis is caused by breathing in microscopic silica dust, which can do tremendous damage to the tissue in your lung, leading to inflammation and eventually scarring – known as pulmonary fibrosis. In certain cases, this will make it extremely difficult to breathe, or lead to persistent coughing.
In addition, silicosis can also increase the risk of other issues including bronchitis, tuberculosis and even lung cancer.
The types of symptoms you develop, and their severity, depend on the level of silica exposure you experienced.
Most often, the signs of this disease will start with shortness of breath, fatigue, a dry cough and perhaps chest pain.
In certain cases – such as if you are diagnosed with accelerated silicosis, chronic silicosis or acute silicosis – these may worsen quickly after they are initially detected, and can develop in a matter of months after severe exposure.
If these issues go untreated, they could lead to more serious illnesses including chest infections, emphysema and the aforementioned lung cancer, kidney damage and tuberculosis.
There is no straightforward answer to this question because it all depends on your duration and amount of exposure to silica dust over time, which would often be difficult to detect or calculate.
In Australia, the workplace exposure standard for crystalline silica is 0.05 mg per square metre, and employers have to monitor air quality for silica dust. Ideally, you would not be exposed to any, and there is no amount of exposure considered “safe.”
First and foremost, to make a claim for compensation as a result of occupational exposure to silica dust, you have to be able to prove you have the disease silicosis. Once you have obtained that diagnosis, you can bring a claim for damages, and perhaps even negligence, against your employer.
Among the expenses for which you can claim damages are the cost of immediate treatments (both physical and psychological), ongoing medical expenses including domestic care, non-economic damages (also known as pain and suffering), and loss of earning and superannuation if you are unable to continue working.
If you have been exposed to silica, regardless of whether you have been diagnosed with silicosis at this point, contact Gerard Malouf & Partners today to speak to our experienced staff about meeting with our personal injury lawyers to understand your options and, potentially, the types of damages you can claim. Your first consultation is free, and we contest on a “no win, no fee” basis.
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