Crystalline Silica Exposure: Awareness Training for Canadian Workplaces
Awareness-level training on silica dust hazards, health effects, and controls for Canadian workers. Certificate of completion included. Does not replace designated substance programs or occupational hygiene sampling.
About Crystalline Silica Exposure: Awareness Training for Canadian Workplaces Training
Crystalline Silica Exposure: Awareness Training for Canadian Workplaces — Course Details
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Format: Online course with interactive content and assessments
Certification: Certificate of completion provided upon successful course completion
Access: Lifetime access to course materials and updates
Course Modules
- Module 1: Introduction
- Module 2: The Invisible Hazard — What Is Crystalline Silica?
- Module 3: What Silica Does to Your Body
- Module 4: The Law — Canadian Regulatory Requirements
- Module 5: Controlling the Hazard
- Module 6: Your Rights and Responsibilities
- Module 7: Medical Surveillance and Record-Keeping
- Course Conclusion & Final Assessment
Who Should Take Crystalline Silica Exposure: Awareness Training for Canadian Workplaces
This training is essential for workers who cut, drill, grind, or disturb materials containing crystalline silica:
- Construction Workers: Cutting concrete, brick, tile, and stone — especially dry-cutting operations
- Stonemasons and Countertop Fabricators: Cutting engineered stone products with very high silica content
- Mining and Quarry Workers: Drilling, blasting, and crushing silica-bearing rock
- Foundry and Sandblasting Workers: High-silica exposure from casting and abrasive blasting
- Tunnelling and Underground Workers: Rock drilling and blasting in silica-bearing formations
- Supervisors and Safety Professionals: Responsible for designated substance programs under provincial OHS law
Silica-related disease is irreversible — this awareness training supports designated substance program obligations across Canada. Certificate of completion included.
Crystalline Silica Exposure: Awareness Training for Canadian Workplaces — Canadian Regulatory Compliance
Canadian Crystalline Silica Exposure Standards
This silica awareness training addresses occupational exposure limits and designated substance requirements across Canadian jurisdictions:
- Ontario — O. Reg. 490/09 (Designated Substances): Crystalline silica is a designated substance. Employers in Ontario construction and industrial workplaces must prepare a designated substance assessment and control program. OEL: 0.025 mg/m³ (respirable fraction).
- Federal — Canada OHS Regulations & CCOHS guidance: OEL of 0.025 mg/m³ for respirable crystalline silica (quartz). Engineering controls must be used before respiratory protection as the last resort.
- Alberta — OHS Code Part 4, Table 1: OEL of 0.025 mg/m³ for respirable quartz. Employers must assess and control silica exposure through the hierarchy of controls.
- British Columbia — WorkSafeBC OHS Regulation Schedule 1: OEL of 0.025 mg/m³ for respirable crystalline silica. Engineering controls (wet methods, LEV) are prioritized over respiratory protection.
- IARC Classification: Respirable crystalline silica is a Group 1 carcinogen (known to cause lung cancer and silicosis). Medical surveillance is required for chronically exposed workers.
Employer Obligations
Employers must assess silica exposure, implement wet suppression, local exhaust ventilation (LEV), and enclosed operator cabs before relying on respiratory protective equipment. Workers must be trained on health effects, engineering controls, and the importance of medical surveillance and early reporting.
What You'll Learn in Crystalline Silica Exposure: Awareness Training for Canadian Workplaces
- Identify work processes and materials that release respirable crystalline silica dust
- Understand health effects of silica exposure: silicosis, lung cancer, and COPD
- Apply the Canadian OEL of 0.025 mg/m³ and Ontario O. Reg. 490/09 program requirements
- Select and implement engineering controls, respiratory protection, and safe work practices
- Know your rights to medical surveillance, air monitoring results, and a safe workplace
