2007/02/15
Project SILICERAM


Project SILICERAM


Main informations


SILICERAM Health and Productivity
Studies aimed at assisting legislation and encouraging continual improvement strategies in the field of respirable crystalline silica.

Supported by the European Commission through the Sixth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development with up to 1 469 kEUR (out of a total budget of 2 213 kEUR), the SILICERAM project addresses the activity area “Horizontal Research Activities involving
SMEs - Collective Research”.

It has been running since the 1st of October 2004 and will last 36 months.

CONTEXT AND POTENTIAL IMPACTS
The traditional ceramics industry is divided into several subsectors: tiles, tableware, sanitary ware, refractory, bricks and roofing tiles. In order to manufacture these products the ceramic industry often uses powdered crystalline silica. For many years it has been recognized that inhalation of Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) can lead to which ultimately leads to ill-health through breathing difficulties and even death.

Since the 1930s sensible abatement practices have been developed to virtually eradicate the problem of silicosis.
At present different EU have different limits for RCS. Within Europe the Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limits is working towards identifying a common EU position on mg/m3 levels. One of the difficulties associated with setting common exposure limits for workers is the fact that different forms of crystalline silica appear to pose different threats. A new input to the debate has been the decision by the International Agency on Research in Cancer (IARC) in 1997 to classify RCS as a category 1 carcinogen.

Whilst striving for lower and lower mg/m3 limits is to be applauded, there is a potential danger that using RCS (especially SMEs) will be faced with extortionate associated costs (e.g. capital equipment costs, in-house administration costs, testing costs required to demonstrate compliance etc...)
This could drive some companies to ignore the legislation and so create a rise in the number of silicosis cases. Against the above background, the overall aim of this project is to provide legislators with useful data for defining RCS in air limits.
Setting a single low limit to encourage continual improvement, but allowing concessions based on proven reduced risks associated with certain RCS forms is seen as a possible way forward.

The project focuses on different industries of the ceramic sector: tiles, tableware, sanitary ware, refractory, bricks and roofing tiles.