Silicosis: a fatal legacy from Britain's past still affects modern industrial workers
While we may tend to associate silicosis with Britain's past industrial age, silicosis continues to affect workers in the construction, stonemasonry and manufacturing industries. It is a slow-moving endemic that remains dangerously misunderstood and under-reported.
Silicosis is caused by inhaling fine silica dust, a byproduct of cutting, grinding, or drilling materials such as concrete, stone, and bricks. Once lodged in the lungs, the dust causes inflammation and scarring, leading to breathing difficulties, a higher risk of tuberculosis, and premature death.
Unlike other occupational diseases of the past that faded with technological advancement, silicosis has found new life in modern industries. The rise in engineered stone for kitchen worktops, for example, exposes workers to very fine respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust. Without stringent dust control, every cut, grind, or polish becomes a breath closer to irreversible lung scarring.
Public Health England estimates that hundreds of deaths annually may be attributed to silica exposure, but the true figure is likely higher due to misdiagnosis and under-reporting.
GPs often misdiagnose silicosis as asthma or chronic bronchitis, especially in younger, non-smoking patients. The latency period of the disease can stretch for years, delaying diagnosis until it is too late. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has ramped up inspections and campaigning efforts, but the UK still lacks a comprehensive silica dust registry, leaving victims without clear pathways for recognition or compensation.
But this isn’t just a matter for compensation claims. It is fast becoming a public health issue and a moral one. If asbestos warranted national outrage, silica dust, which can be just as deadly, deserves no less. Until regulations are fully enforced and employer awareness is standardised, silicosis will continue to linger in the lungs of Britain’s workforce.
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