Understanding Silicosis & Finding the Proper Respiratory Protection

Episode 88

Understanding Silicosis & Finding the Proper Respiratory Protection

Silicosis impacts more workers than you may think. In this episode, editor Sydny Shepard sits down with CleanSpace Technology's Jon Imms to discuss what silica is and how safety professionals can protect against it.

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Aug 04, 2021

Respiratory protection has been top of mind for the last year and a half, but for some industries respiratory protection is the difference between leaving work healthy or not. One of the largest respiratory hazards in the labor field in America is breathing in crystalline silica, which overtime can lead to silicosis.

About two million construction workers are exposed to respirable crystalline silica in over 600,000 workplaces throughout the country and OSHA estimates that more than 840,000 of these workers are exposed to levels that exceed the permissible exposure limit.

Today, I am joined by Jon Imms, the global sales director for CleanSpace Technology. We have a great conversation all about what silica is, where it comes from and how employers can help to protect their workers from this serious hazard. Jon joined CleanSpace in 2011 and has been in the safety and respiratory protection industry for over 30 years. He has held sales roles and product management with global manufacturer Scott Health and Safety, and was a member of the SF10 Australian Standards Respiratory Committee which developed the AS1715:2009 certification which is currently used today.

During his career, Jon has worked with key industry and government organizations including Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, the Australian Defence Force, and State Fire Rescue and Ambulance Services.

So, what are the exposure limits and how can silica impact workers in different industries? Find out by downloading or streaming this episode today at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify and more. 

A special thank you to CleanSpace Technology. 

CleanSpace is an Australian designer and manufacturer of respiratory protection equipment for healthcare and industrial applications, founded by a team of biomedical engineers with experience in respiratory medicine devices. CleanSpace is passionate about continually improving health outcomes, workplace safety and standards of care. In the last 20 years, technology has driven unprecedented advances in medical equipment and transformed people’s health. We have brought this to personal respiratory protection. The Company continues to invest in research and development programs resulting in differentiated design and approved products that provide compelling employer and user benefits, namely, higher protection with improved compliance and productivity. CleanSpace Respirators are a true game changer, changing the way people on the front lines think about respiratory protection. cleanspacetechnology.com

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the former editor of Occupational Health & Safety.

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