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NEPSI Social Partner autonomous Agreement on Crystalline Silica

Dr M. Wyart-RemyCo-chair NEPSI Council, IMA-Europe Secretary General

EU-Israel Workshop on Issues Associated with Silica and Artificial Stone

EU-OSHA Offices – 28 January 2015

• Silica is a mineral commonly found in nature as sand

• Crystalline silica (one silica form) is used in a vast

array of industries

• For many years, it has been known that the inhalation of

fine dust containing a proportion of crystalline silica

(respirable crystalline silica - RCS) can cause lung

damage (silicosis)

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The grounds for an Agreement

The scientific debate: a secondary mechanism

Crystalline silica inhaled in the form of quartz or cristobalite from occupational

sources is carcinogenic to humans (group 1)

Coal dust cannot be classified as to its carcinogenicity to humans (group 3)

IARC Monograph 68, 1997

The main effect in humans of the inhalation of respirable 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 2002 (under review)

Crystalline silica in the form of quartz or cristobalite dust is carcinogenic to humans

(group 1). The most prominent mechanism of lung cancer works via inflammation

which results in macrophage activation and the sustained release of

chemokines and cytokines (i.e. silicosis mechanism)

IARC Monograph 100 C, 20113

The scientific debate: a variable hazard

In making the overall evaluation, the WG noted that carcinogenicity was not

detected in all industrial circumstances studied. Carcinogenicity may be

dependent on inherent characteristics of the crystalline silica or on external

factors affecting its biological activity or distribution of its polymorphs.

IARC Monograph 68, 1997

The different reactivity of different types of silica is confirmed by IARC (2011):

“the pathogenic potential of quartz seems to be related to its surface

properties, and the surface properties may vary depending on the origin of

the quartz” e.g. grinding procedure, the particle shape, the thermal treatment

and impurities.

IARC Monograph 100 C, 2011

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Pathogenicity factors to be controlled

RCS occurs when handling products, i.e. cutting, sawing, polishing

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Sand (quartz or cristobalite) grains Broken sand grains

External or intrinsic factors: e.g. free electron at the surface, crystallinity, etc.

Repair mechanisms also depend on factors influencing the particles ageing

process, e.g. free electron quenching by OH-, presence of metal ions (Al3+), etc.

respirable

Technical feasibility of measuring at the lowest OELs

copier conclusions des articles

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Prevention is the key

Silica dust exposure of a construction worker

sawing masonry brick without dust control or PPE

• Risk awareness

• Monitoring

• Implementation of measures

• Compliance and Surveillance

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Aggregates (UEPG), Cement (Cembureau), Industrial Minerals (IMA-Europe),

Mines (Euromines), Natural Stones (EuroRoc), Ceramics (Cerame-Unie),

Expanded Clays (EXCA, joined in 2009), Foundry (CAEF/CEEMET), Glass fibre (APFE),

Container (FEVE) & Flat Glass (GEPVP), Mineral Wool (EURIMA),

Mortar (EMO), and Pre-cast Concrete (BIBM)

with their Unions’ representatives (IndustriALL-Europe)

The Signatories

Signature of a Social Dialogue Agreement in April 2006

Today, 14 Industrial Sectors and their Trade Union

Agreement on Workers Health Protection through the

Good Handling and Use of Crystalline Silica and

Products containing it

Signed in 2006, it aims at

protecting the health of Employees

minimizing exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica

(RCS) by applying the Good Practices and

increasing knowledge about potential health effects of

RCS and about Good Practices

The objectives

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The Agreement Principles

Compliant with national and EU laws

Organise health surveillanceincl. Health Surveillance Protocol for Silicosis (Annex 8)

Provide information, instruction and training to the workforce

Monitor the application of the Agreement & Good Practices at site

Carry out an INITIAL RISK ASSESSMENT

Based on the results of personal DUST EXPOSURE MONITORING (Annex 2)

Implement Good Practices (Annex 1)

collective and if necessary personal protection measures

REPORT on the application of the Agreement to the Council from site

to EU level by consolidating Key Performance Indicators 9

The core: Good Practice Guide (GPG)

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• Section 1: Site information

Number of Employees on site

• Section 2: Exposure Risk

Number of Employees potentially exposed to Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS)

• Section 3: Risk Assessment and Dust Monitoring

Number of Employees potentially exposed to RCS covered by Risk Assessment and

Dust Monitoring

• Section 4: Health Surveillance

Number of Employees potentially exposed to RCS covered by a generic health

Surveillance Protocol and by the Health Surveillance Protocol for Silicosis

• Section 5: Training

Number of Employees potentially exposed to RCS trained on the General Principles

of prevention and on the Good Practice Guide Task Sheets

• Section 6: Good Practices

Application of technical and organizational measures to reduce generation / dispersion

of RCS distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Section 7: Key Notes to be structured into Voluntary Questions:

Free text

Monitoring of key performance indicators

SDA Annex III

Online quantitative reporting on the

application of the SDA every two years

at site level by personal invitation:

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Reporting every second year

SDA article 7

Bipartite steering group,

30 full members and

30 deputies representing all signatories

Annual meeting

Analysing results, identifying improvements and

weaknesses, solving interpretation divergences and issues,

setting targets

Preparing the implementation Summary Report every two

years

NEPSI Council reports forwarded to the Commission

and the national authorities responsible for workers’ safety

The Executive Summaries are publicly available at www.nepsi.eu13

A bipartite NEPSI Council

SDA Article 8

• 464 786 Reported Employees

• 188 563 Employees potentially exposed to RCS (> 40 %)

• Number of Reported Sites: 6 268

It represents the total number of sites for which complete

data was provided including voluntary reporting

NEPSI 2014 Consolidated Report

2014 NEPSI Results (1)

NEPSI

2008

(total)

NEPSI

2010

(total)

NEPSI

2012

(total)

NEPSI

2014

(total)

Sites: 5,237 6,691 7,257 7,511

Reported Sites: 4,737 5,789 6,367 6,268

% of Reported

Sites:90.5% 86.5% 87.7% 83.4%

Reported

Employees: 427,875 462,215 498,583 464,786

Employees

potentially

exposed to

RCS:

173,875 190,269 202,251 188,563

Targets for 2014 NEPSI

Reported sites

(answer rate): 81%

Potentially exposed

employees:

41%

Risk assessment: 93%

Exposure monitoring: 72%

Generic health

surveillance:

89%

Health surveillance for

silicosis:

1% should still be covered

Training: 88% & 66%

(vs 85% and 61% in 2012)

24/

04/

NEPSI Employers

Improved

Stable

Stable

Stable

Improved

Improved

2014 NEPSI Results (2)

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Future NEPSI activities

A grant from the European Commission was requested to launch

a new awareness campaign on the Agreement and to further increase

participation, especially (but not only) in central-eastern Europe

Through:

- On-line multilingual webinars

- Renewal of the NEPSI website

- Launch of remaining translations

- Update of the reporting tool software

- Final Conference in Brussels

2-year project

Budget: € 158 000

+ continuous contacts with the construction sector

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Conclusions

The Agreement forces Employers and Employees to assess whether there

is an RCS exposure risk at work

Implementation is supported by a strict monitoring procedure and regular

contacts among NEPSI partners (annual Council and Bureau meetings)

Pushing factor: companies want to improve their performance year by year

Measures are pragmatic and well accepted at workplace level

The SDA promotion and dissemination is the strongest awareness

campaign ever developed on RCS exposure

The NEPSI Agreement guarantees commitment and an appropriate level

of protection, but should involve all concerned sectors

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Thank you for your attention

For more details please contact

NEPSI Secretariat

c/o IMA-Europe, Brussels

Tel: +322 210 44 10

Fax: +322 210 44 29

e-mail: secretariat@ima-europe.eu

visit the website: http://www.nepsi.eu

http://www.ima-europe.eu

Agreement

Good Practice Guide and its task sheets

Guidance on the SDA & on the reporting

10 Golden Rules

12 PIMEX Videos (training)

All documents available in 22

languages at www.nepsi.eu