Grolleg

SECTION 2: Hazards identification

Not regarded as a health or environmental hazard under current legislation.

Other physicochemical hazards

Wet substance spillage can constitute a slipping hazard. HUMAN HEALTH Long term exposure to any respirable mineral dust could cause effects in the respiratory system. Airbourne dust may cause irritation to the eyes. In 1997, IARC (the International Agency for Research on Cancer) concluded that crystalline silica inhaled from occupational sources can cause lung cancer in humans. However it pointed out that not all industrial circumstances, nor all crystalline silica types, were to be incriminated. (IARC Monographs on the evaluation of the carcinogenic risks of chemicals to humans, Silica, silicates dust and organic fibres, 1997, Vol. 68, IARC, Lyon, France.) In June 2003, SCOEL (the EU Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limits) concluded that the main effect in humans of the inhalation of respirable crystalline silica dust is silicosis. “There is sufficient information to conclude that the relative risk of lung cancer is increased in persons with silicosis (and, apparently, not in employees without silicosis exposed to silica dust in quarries and in the ceramic industry). Therefore preventing the onset of silicosis will also reduce the cancer risk…” (SCOEL SUM Doc 94-final, June 2003) There is a body of evidence supporting the fact that increased cancer risk would not be limited to people already suffering from silicosis. According to the current state of the art, worker protection against silicosis can be consistently assured by respecting the existing regulatory occupational exposure limits.