Abstract
The National Industrial Sand Association (NISA) is a national trade association representing a large segment of companies involved in the mining and processing of industrial sand. Industrial sand, also known as silica sand, is extracted from a limited number of naturally occurring deposits that will yield materials approaching pure quartz or silica. For many years silicosis has been recognized as a commonly known health hazard associated with exposure to crystalline silica. Silicosis is the oldest known occupational disease to mankind. NISA has long encouraged its member companies to pursue the objective of silicosis prevention for their employees. In 1977 the NISA Occupational Health Program for Exposure to Crystalline Silica was developed for NISA members' use in better protecting their employees from the silicosis hazard. The NISA Silicosis Prevention Program is an adjunct to the Occupational Health Program and is a continuation of NISA's longstanding efforts to address the silicosis issue in the industrial sand industry. In 1993 NISA adopted the NISA Silicosis Prevention Program with the goal of preventing the development of new cases of silicosis in member company employees. This article will describe the elements of the NISA Silicosis Prevention Program and discuss the objectives and tasks being accomplished by NISA and its member companies which will lead to reaching our goal. The elements of the program include commitment by member companies, implementation of the NISA Occupational Health Program for Exposure to Crystalline Silica in the Industrial Sand Industry, assessment of silica exposure, medical surveillance of workers, control of silica exposure, employee involvement in the prevention program, and implementation of smoking cessation programs.