Hi all, I am doing a dissertation on silica/RCS and as far as I can tell nothing has happened since the UK Government All Party Parliamentary Group for Respiratory Health produced their report "Silica - The Next Asbestos", or their follow-up investigation into risk reduction strategies entitled 'Improving Silicosis Outcomes in the UK', published in 2023. Is anyone aware of any action taken?

Hi E

I can't see anything coming out of this any time soon, unless an incoming Labour Government significantly ups the standard of protection for workers on whatever type of contract.

We have had years and years of cuts to public services and those have impacted the resourcing of the HSE and other regulators, and more so at the sharp end (as it is more difficult to take the axe to policy people).

HSE is hardly likely to be pushing for more regulation when it hasn't got sufficient resources to effectively enforce what is already in place, where there has been a long term skew towards the risks that are acute, and less towards those which are of a chronic nature.

Hence, as example, you see much more enforcement for people falling (or potentially falling) from or through roofs and virtually none in terms of that same population of workers being exposed to occupational health risks including asbestos and silica, despite it being very clear that far more of that population will die prematurely as a result of exposure of hazardous materials than fall to their deaths. [With a similar disparity at lower severities of harm].

If the average worker feels more secure in their employment, then they might be more inclined to comment on unsafe working conditions and be more likely to whistle blow than at present.

Nothing Earth Shattering:

 Clinical Recommendations

1. Silicosis is included as a notifiable disease.
2. Notification of previous RCS exposure to be made  accessible within secondary care i.e. better record keeping of exposure to  RCS and sharing between medical practitioners.
3. GP’s to be notified if a patient tests positive during workplace health surveillance.
4. Records of health surveillance to be kept even if employee leaves the company and shared with patient’s GP.

Regulatory Recommendations

1. All government supported building industry vocational training should include the risks posed by RCS.
2. The  HSE to do more to warn people of the risks posed by RCS in building and other trades.
3.  HSE to reduce the WEL for work with silica to 0.05 mg/m3.
4. Improve testing and to develop a real time monitoring  of RCS in the workplace.

But as Peter says, the HSE has been cut to the bone and if they adopt any of these recommendations, they will either need to find more money or  cut something else to pay for it.