Ten minutes. That is all this takes. And it could stop someone spending their last years attached to an oxygen cylinder.
This is a script you can deliver as-is. Read it out, pause for questions, then get on with the day. No projector required.
Opening: Tell Them What They Are Dealing With
Start here:
"Right lads, two minutes on silica before we get going. This is the dust that comes off concrete, block, brick, sand, and stone when we cut, drill, grind, or chase it. You cannot see most of it. The particles that damage your lungs are the ones too small to see. You breathe them in, they sit in your lung tissue, and your body cannot get rid of them. Over years, that turns into silicosis. No cure. Permanent damage. In serious cases, it kills."
Pause. Let that land.
"This is not a box-ticking talk. Silicosis is showing up in workers in their forties and fifties who spent years grinding concrete without controls. The exposure happened years before the diagnosis. That means what we do today matters."
If anyone rolls their eyes at this point, it is worth noting that why crews still underestimate silica dust is a documented problem, not an assumption.
The Controls: What We Are Actually Doing on This Site
Tell the crew exactly what controls are in place and why each one matters.
Water Suppression
"If you are using a disc cutter, angle grinder, or diamond blade today, water suppression is not optional. Water keeps the dust down at source before it becomes airborne. The attachment needs to be working before you start cutting. If the water feed is blocked or the attachment is missing, you stop and tell me. You do not start dry and plan to hose down after."
Key point: wet cutting reduces airborne silica by roughly 90 percent compared to dry cutting. That number is worth saying out loud.
On-Tool Extraction
"Where we are using power tools indoors or in enclosed areas, on-tool extraction with an H-class vacuum is required. H-class means it is rated for hazardous dust. A standard site vac does not cut it. The extraction unit needs to be connected before you switch the tool on, not after you notice a cloud."
Check that the crew knows where the extraction units are and whether they are charged or plumbed in.
RPE: The Last Line, Not the First
"Respiratory protective equipment is the last control, not the substitute for water and extraction. If suppression and extraction are working, RPE backs them up. If they are not working, RPE is all that stands between you and a lung full of silica."
Then cover fit:
"The masks we use for silica are FFP3. FFP2 is not enough for sustained silica exposure. The mask has to fit your face. A beard breaks the seal. Stubble breaks the seal. If it does not seal, it does not protect. Anyone who has not had a face-fit test, I need to know now."
This is the point where you will often find out that three people on the crew have never been face-fit tested. That is your action item for the day.
The Tasks: Walk Through What Is Happening on This Site Today
Generic talks bounce off people. Specific ones stick.
Name the tasks planned for today that generate silica dust:
- Chasing brick walls for cables or pipes
- Cutting concrete blocks to size
- Grinding down a concrete floor
- Breaking out a blockwork wall
- Drilling fixings into concrete
For each one, confirm out loud:
"What control is in place for that task? Water, extraction, or both? Is the RPE available and the right grade?"
If anyone does not know the answer for their task, that is the conversation to have before work starts, not after.
Questions to Ask the Crew
Do not skip this part. These questions get people thinking and flag gaps.
Ask them out loud and wait for actual answers:
- "If you start cutting and the water supply runs dry, what do you do?"
- "Where are the H-class vacuums kept on this site?"
- "What grade of mask do we use for silica work?"
- "If your mask does not feel like it is sealing properly, what should you do?"
- "Has anyone had a face-fit test?"
- "If you find yourself generating visible dust, what does that tell you about your controls?"
On question six: visible dust means the controls have already failed. By the time you can see it, you have already been breathing the invisible fraction. That is the answer you want them to give you.
Housekeeping: The Bit People Forget
Sweeping up dry silica dust with a brush puts it back into the air. Compressed air does the same. Both are banned for silica-contaminated areas under proper dust management.
Vacuum up using H-class extraction or wet-mop the area. Waste goes into sealed bags. Do not shake out dusty clothing on site. Wash hands and face before eating or drinking.
This sounds like common sense. It is also the bit that gets skipped most often because the cutting is done and people relax.
The Close
End with something concrete:
"If you see a control missing today, you tell me. If your mask does not feel right, you tell me. We are not here to manage silicosis claims in ten years. We are here to make sure nobody on this crew ends up with a disease that should never have happened."
Sign the sheet, note any outstanding actions (face-fit tests, missing extraction units, RPE grades to check), and get on with the day.
What to Record After the Talk
Keep it simple but keep it:
- Date, site, names of attendees
- Tasks discussed
- Controls confirmed in place
- Any actions raised and who owns them
- Signature of person who delivered the talk
If the HSA walks onto your site today and asks what your crew knows about silica controls, this record is your answer.
Run this talk monthly if silica-generating tasks are ongoing. Run it any time a new operative joins the crew. Ten minutes now is worth considerably more than whatever comes next if you skip it.
