Respirable crystalline silica
Drilling, crushing and grinding release silica fine enough to reach the alveoli, producing silicosis and raising tuberculosis susceptibility — the single most important exposure on site.
Mining & Cement sector
Occupational health for mining and cement operations
Crushing, grinding and packing generate respirable crystalline silica, and silicosis is irreversible by the time it is symptomatic. Surveillance here is not a formality: the radiograph reading standard, the exposure record and the periodicity are all specified in law, and an auditor will ask for all three.
19
Mining and cement sites covered
ILO
Radiograph classification standard
Retained
Exposure and medical records paired
Primary hazard
Silica & respirable dust
Pneumoconiosis surveillance and cardiac fitness
Exposure profile
What your people areactually exposed to
The hazards below drive every test in the mining & cement protocol. Nothing is included because it is standard — each one answers a specific exposure.
Cement and clinker alkalinity
Wet cement and kiln dust are strongly alkaline, causing contact dermatitis, chromate sensitisation and ocular injury at packing and transfer points.
Whole-body vibration and noise
Haul trucks, crushers and mills expose operators to sustained vibration and noise, driving musculoskeletal and audiometric surveillance.
Heat and altitude at kiln and quarry
Radiant heat around kilns and exertion in open quarries raise cardiac and renal strain, requiring cardiovascular fitness confirmation before deployment.
Examination protocol
The test panel, andthe reason for each test
This is the panel an inspector will ask you to justify. Every row states the exposure it answers and the cycle it runs on.
| Test | Why it is in the panel | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Chest radiograph, ILO classification | Silicosis and pneumoconiosis staging | Annual |
| Spirometry (PFT) | Restrictive and obstructive dust change | Annual |
| Audiometry | Crusher and mill noise | Annual |
| Complete blood count | Haematological baseline | Annual |
| ECG and blood pressure | Heat and exertional cardiac load | Annual |
| Dust exposure record review | Correlating findings with measured exposure | Each cycle |
| Tuberculosis screening | Raised susceptibility in silica-exposed workers | Annual |
Statutory basis
What the law expectsof this sector
We prepare the registers and evidence in these formats as part of the programme — not as an add-on when an inspection is announced.
Mines Act 1952 and Mines Rules 1955 — initial and periodical medical examination
Factories Act 1948 — silicosis and pneumoconiosis as notifiable occupational diseases
Respirable dust monitoring with exposure records retained alongside medical records
ILO-standard radiograph classification with reader competency documented
Other sectors we run protocols for
Corporate enquiry
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