Expanding control banding for workplace silica exposures throughout the Americas.

Background: Silicosis, a lung disease caused by inhaling respirable crystalline silica dust, is an occupational illness affecting millions of workers worldwide. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has partnered with the World Health Organization, the International Labour Organization, and multiple agencies in the Americas to implement the program "The Elimination of Silicosis in the Americas".

Objectives: One component of this program is control banding, a qualitative risk assessment and management strategy that allows non-experts to use task-based hazard data and potential exposure information to determine appropriate controls.

Results: From 2005 to the present, NIOSH occupational health researchers have worked with experts in Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Brazil to assess, implement, and provide tools to evaluate the use of control banding methodology.