Occupational hazards, regulation carcinogens

OSHA. 1996. Occupational safety and health standards. Toxic and hazardous substances. 13 Carcinogens (4-Nitrobiphenyl, etc.). Occupational Safety and Health Administration. U.S. Department of Labor. Code of Federal Regulations. 29 CFR 1910.1003. 

Nevertheless, the statistics presented in Table 4.5 must be interpreted with caution. As the evidence in Section 4.4.1 suggests, the comparatively low frequency of fatalities and low lost injury time in the UK and Sweden may be attributable to regulators in these two countries prioritising more readily identifiable effects of exposure to certain hazards (e.g., carcinogenicity or sensitisation) over less apparent effects (in terms of existing epidemiological studies or occupational health incident reports) that result from exposure to other hazards (e.g., reprotoxicity). 

The primary hazard with crystalline silica is the development of silicosis due to the inhalation of fine particles (<10 pm). There are reports that the exposure to silica (or the existence of silicosis) is associated with an increase in the incidence of lung cancer the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies silica in Group 2A probably carcinogenic to humans . The applicable governmental regulations in various countries should be consulted and followed. Also, various codes of practice, such as ASTME 1132 [28], Standard Practice for Health Requirements Relating to Occupational Exposure to Silica, and ANSI Z 88.2 [29], Practices for Respiratory Protection, may be consulted. 

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