The Health in Construction Leadership Group (HCLG) has launched a free silica resource hub aimed at supporting the UK construction industry in managing the risks of respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust — one of the most serious occupational health hazards on UK construction sites.
The hub is available at no cost and is designed to be accessible to everyone across the construction supply chain — from directors and site managers to operatives on the tools.
What is the HCLG Silica Hub?
The Health in Construction Leadership Group was formed in 2014 after a challenge from HSE's Construction Industry Advisory Committee (ConIAC) for the industry to do more to "Think Health." The group comprises contractors, clients, the Health and Safety Executive, professional bodies, trade associations and trade unions, with the mission to ultimately eradicate the ill health and disease caused by exposures to health hazards on building sites.
The new silica hub brings together guidance and practical resources in one place, with content tailored based on the user's seniority and job role — so a site manager sees different resources to an operative or a director. The resources are organised across four categories:
- Risk assessment — identifying and evaluating silica dust exposure
- Awareness — understanding what RCS is and why it matters
- Control — implementing the right measures to reduce exposure
- Evaluation — monitoring the effectiveness of controls over time
This four-category structure maps directly onto the COSHH assessment process that UK contractors are legally required to follow under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002.
Why silica dust matters — the health risks
Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is generated whenever stone, concrete, brick, mortar, or similar materials are cut, drilled, ground, or otherwise disturbed. The dust particles are fine enough to penetrate deep into the lungs — and once there, the damage is permanent and progressive.
Exposure to RCS can cause:
Silicosis — an incurable lung disease caused by the scarring of lung tissue. There are three forms: chronic silicosis (from long-term lower-level exposure), accelerated silicosis (from higher exposure over a shorter period), and acute silicosis (from very high short-term exposure, which can be fatal within months). There is no cure. Once the damage is done, it cannot be reversed.
Lung cancer — RCS is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The HSE estimates that silica dust exposure causes around 500 deaths from lung cancer among construction workers every year in Great Britain alone.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) — a progressive condition that causes breathlessness, chronic cough, and reduced lung capacity. Silica exposure is one of several occupational causes of COPD in construction workers.
The particular danger of silica dust is that the symptoms develop slowly — often over years or decades. A worker who was heavily exposed to silica dust in their 20s and 30s may not develop symptoms until their 40s or 50s, by which point the damage is extensive and irreversible. This delayed onset means many workers do not connect their illness to their past exposure, and many employers do not see the consequences of inadequate dust control until long after the work was done.
Which construction activities generate silica dust?
RCS is generated by any work that disturbs silica-containing materials. In UK construction this includes virtually every trade at some point:
- Cutting, grinding, or drilling concrete, stone, brick, and masonry — the highest-risk activities, generating extremely fine RCS particles at dangerous concentrations
- Chasing walls for cables, pipes, and conduit
- Scabbling concrete surfaces
- Dry sweeping or brushing surfaces contaminated with silica-containing dust
- Demolition of concrete or masonry structures
- Tunnelling through rock or concrete
- Worktop fabrication — engineered stone in particular contains very high silica concentrations, which led to the HSE's 2026 crackdown on engineered stone fabrication
The HSE has consistently identified silica dust as one of its top enforcement priorities in construction, and the frequency of improvement and prohibition notices issued for inadequate dust control has increased significantly in recent years.
What UK contractors are legally required to do
The legal framework for managing silica dust exposure is the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH). Before any work that generates RCS begins, contractors must:
Carry out a COSHH assessment — identify the specific activities that will generate silica dust, assess the level of exposure, identify who is at risk, and specify the control measures that will be in place.
Apply the COSHH hierarchy of controls:
1. Eliminate — can the task be done without generating silica dust? (Rarely possible in construction, but wet methods can significantly reduce generation)
2. Substitute — can a lower-silica material be used?
3. Engineering controls — on-tool extraction (local exhaust ventilation), wet suppression, enclosed systems. These must be the primary controls — RPE alone is not acceptable as a primary measure for silica dust
4. Administrative controls — limiting exposure time, rotating workers, restricting access to dusty areas
5. RPE — respiratory protective equipment as a supplementary measure alongside engineering controls, not instead of them
Provide health surveillance — for workers regularly exposed to silica dust, health surveillance is a legal requirement under COSHH Regulation 11. This includes regular lung function testing to detect early signs of damage.
Maintain and test controls — engineering controls such as on-tool extraction units must be regularly inspected and tested to confirm they are working effectively. A LEV (local exhaust ventilation) system that is not regularly examined and tested provides no legal protection.
Train and inform workers — operatives must be told about the risks of silica dust, the controls in place, and how to use RPE correctly. A toolbox talk on silica dust before high-risk activities begin is both best practice and a legal requirement under COSHH.
The HCLG hub and your COSHH obligations
The new HCLG silica hub is a valuable free resource — particularly the awareness and control sections, which provide practical guidance that can directly inform your COSHH assessments and toolbox talks. Using industry-developed resources from a body that includes the HSE as a member also demonstrates to principal contractors and inspectors that your approach to silica management reflects current best practice.
However, the hub is a resource — it does not replace your legal obligation to carry out and document your own COSHH assessment before silica-generating work begins. A COSHH assessment must be specific to your task, your site, your team, and your exposure scenario. A generic awareness resource does not meet the "suitable and sufficient" standard required by COSHH Regulation 6.
Every contractor carrying out work that generates silica dust needs a documented COSHH assessment that reflects the specific conditions of their job. That assessment must exist before work starts — not after the HSE visits.
What this means if you work with engineered stone
If your work involves cutting, grinding, or fabricating engineered stone — kitchen worktops, bathroom surfaces, and similar materials — the silica risk is significantly higher than with natural stone or concrete. Engineered stone can contain up to 90% crystalline silica by weight, compared to around 30% for granite and less than 10% for most concrete.
The HSE published updated guidance in 2026 significantly tightening the controls required for engineered stone work, including mandatory respiratory protective equipment, wet suppression or on-tool extraction for all cutting operations, and health surveillance for all regularly exposed workers. Our earlier guide covers this in detail.
→ Read: HSE Engineered Stone Silica Crackdown 2026 — What Contractors Need to Know
Download a COSHH assessment template for silica dust work
Every task involving silica dust generation requires a documented COSHH assessment. SafetyPod's professionally drafted, HSE-compliant COSHH assessment template covers substance identification, exposure assessment, the full COSHH control hierarchy, health surveillance requirements, and emergency procedures — everything required under the COSHH Regulations 2002.
Fully editable in Word. Adapt it for your specific task and substance — whether that's cutting concrete, chasing brick walls, or working with engineered stone — and it's ready to use.
→ Download the COSHH Assessment Template — £3.99
For a full guide to what a COSHH assessment must include and how to complete one correctly under UK law:
→ Read: What is a COSHH Assessment? A Plain-English Guide for UK Contractors
→ Browse all SafetyPod templates
Summary
The HCLG's new free silica resource hub is a welcome development for the UK construction industry — bringing together practical guidance on RCS risk assessment, awareness, control, and evaluation in one accessible place. It is particularly useful for toolbox talk preparation, training materials, and demonstrating to principal contractors that your approach to silica management reflects industry best practice.
But the hub does not replace your legal obligations under COSHH. Before any work that generates silica dust begins, a documented, task-specific COSHH assessment must be in place. For UK contractors who need a professionally drafted template they can adapt and use immediately, SafetyPod has you covered.
→ Download the COSHH Assessment Template — £3.99
Written by the SafetyPod team — NEBOSH-qualified H&S professionals with hands-on experience across UK construction, civil engineering, and facilities management. All content is written to current HSE guidance and CDM 2015 compliance.
Published: May 2026