European Commission logo
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS
Content archived on 2024-05-29

Studies aiming at assisting legislation and encouraging continual improvement strategies in the field of respirable crystalline silica (SILICERAM)

Objective

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 sometimes use powdered crystalline silica. For many years it has been recognised that inhalation of Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) can lead to silicosis, which ultimately leads to ill-health through breathing difficulties and even death. Since the 1930s sensible abatement practises have been developed to virtually eradicate the problem of silicosis. At present different EU states have different limits for RCS. Within Europe the Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure limits are 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 companies using RCS (especially SMEs) will be faced with extortionate abatement capital equipment costs, in-house administration / testing costs etc. to comply. This could drive some companies to ignore 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 will focus on different industries of the ceramic sector: tiles, tableware, sanitary ware, refractory, bricks and roofing tiles.

Fields of science

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Call for proposal

FP6-2002-SME-2
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

COLLECTIVE -

Coordinator

ASSOCIAZIONE NAZIONALE DEI PRODUTTORI DI PIASTRELLE DI CERAMICA E DI MATERIALI REFRATTARI
EU contribution
No data
Address
Viale Monte Santo, 40
SASSUOLO (MODENA)
Italy

See on map
Total cost
No data

Participants (39)

Share this page

Download

Last update: 8 March 2013

My Booklet

Permalink: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/500896

European Union, 2024