Silica Sand

Silica Sand

You cannot AFFORD to blast with silica sand!!!

Clemtex does not sell sand. As an alternative, Green Diamond or Black Beauty should be used.

WARNING:

Silica sand should not be used as an abrasive blasting material. See OSHA standard PB-246-697 and "OSHA Crystalline Silica Exposure" Health Hazard Information in the Safety section of our website.

All of Clemtex's Abrasives sold abide by OSHA's standards and contain less than 1% free silica.

NPR article on Silica sand...

Silica Rule Changes Delayed While Workers Face Health Risks

One of the oldest known workplace dangers is breathing in tiny bits of silica, which is basically sand. Even the ancient Greeks knew that stone cutters got sick from breathing in dust. And today, nearly 2 million American workers are exposed to silica dust in jobs ranging from construction to manufacturing.

The legal limit on how much silica workers can inhale was set decades ago. Workplace safety experts say that limit needs to be cut in half — because otherwise, workers face an increased risk of lung cancer, silicosis and other diseases...

See the full NPR article here.

'Stop Silicosis': Workplace Safety In 1938

This video, produced by the U.S. Department of Labor in an attempt to prevent the occupational disease of silicosis, shows the dangers of exposure to silica dust. It includes the tragic (if not contrived) story of John Steele, "a typical American worker," who was regularly exposed to silica.


Available Literature

Texas Department of Health