Silica sand! What are the health risks?

[Native Pony]

Last year our livery yard arena got resurfaced with silica sand. It seems everyone is getting this stuff put down in arenas these days. It rides well, doesn't freeze, BUT! In dry weather plumes of sand dust rise up and you can't help but breathe it in. My gut instinct was that this is dangerous and you don't want to be breathing it in, or your horse for that matter. We aren't allowed to dampen the arena with water so I avoid the arena whenever dust clouds can be seen!

Silica sand dust can cause silicosis, COPD and a range of other breathing problems. So why are arenas getting covered in the stuff? Are any of you here concerned about the risk to health?

 

[Tiddlypom]

Maybe it was a poor grade of sand. My 8yo sand and rubber arena surface was laid with washed sand, it doesn’t get dusty even when when dry.

 

[Louby]

I never knew it was a health risk tbh, I rode on one for 9 yrs at a previous yard with no ill effects. It was mixed with rubber and was awful during the Summer months as in very deep, so we avoided it uness it had rained. They added more rubber later down the line which helped.
I dont remember it being dusty though

 

[ycbm]

Arenas have always been based on either silica sand or ash (which is probably worse!). They need to be kept damp.

 

[Equi]

It does concern me, but all you can do is avoid it when its dusty. I doubt there is a totally dust free arena surface unfortunately, and many places won't water it down due to cost.

 

[Chuckieee]

Please see below

http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/healthrisks/cancer-and-construction/silica-dust.htm

This is why it is not used for sandblasting anymore. They use plastic balls instead. If you cannot dampen it down then maybe invest in a face mask. Not ideal I know.

 

[ycbm]

This research suggests it's unlikely to be an issue unless you are an instructor working full time on dry arenas. Personally, I've been riding on ash and silica sand arenas for forty years, and I've had several lung X rays in recent years and nothing has been seen on them .



http://thebeatentrack.org/study/results.html


.

 

[Chuckieee]

That same study says that as a general rule, exposure to respirable crystalline silica should be kept as low as is reasonably practicable.

The writer goes onto say that even where exposure levels are deemed acceptable, it is by no means ideal. Every effort should be made to reduce the amount of dust, rather than relying on a reduction in exposure time.

The dangers of silica shouldn’t be ignored even at low levels and just because someone is not symptomatic doesn’t mean they have not been affected. This type of disease usually takes 10-30 years to manifest itself but like asbestos, it can sometimes take 40-50 years. And by the time the symptoms become apparent, it is often too late to do anything about the disease itself.

Prevention is definitely better than cure and the OP is quite right to think about their exposure levels now.

 

[TPO]

So my H&S dad had the same freak out because silica is as bad/worse than asbestos.

I spoke to a senior construction manager at work, who uses the sand for his rugby club and has sourced mine, and he went and got all the data sheets for me. It's also used in children's play parks and I dont think council H&S would risk anything less than 100% ok these days.

It's the dust from ground/blasted sand that is the issue.The dust from arena sand is ok as it's still full sand particles, if that makes sense, like you'd see at the beach when the wind got up.

If you google you should find safety data sheets for silica sand

 

[Palindrome]

That same study says that as a general rule, exposure to respirable crystalline silica should be kept as low as is reasonably practicable.

The writer goes onto say that even where exposure levels are deemed acceptable, it is by no means ideal. Every effort should be made to reduce the amount of dust, rather than relying on a reduction in exposure time.

The dangers of silica shouldn’t be ignored even at low levels and just because someone is not symptomatic doesn’t mean they have not been affected. This type of disease usually takes 10-30 years to manifest itself but like asbestos, it can sometimes take 40-50 years. And by the time the symptoms become apparent, it is often too late to do anything about the disease itself.

Prevention is definitely better than cure and the OP is quite right to think about their exposure levels now.

It's not crystalline silica, crystalline silica is needle shaped and comes from rock. Sand used in arenas is from old rivers, beach or dunes so the grains are rounded.