Gilian Silica Sampling Kits

The new Gilian Silica Sampling Kits are purpose-built for industrial hygienists and safety managers needing streamlined, gravimetric compliance sampling for Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS). Available in 3 configurations, each kit includes a Gilian sampling pump (GilAir 3 or GilAir Plus), pre-weighed filter media, and a size selection cyclone – designed to meet NMAM 7500/OSHA silica standards efficiently and accurately.

Gilian Silica Sampling Kits

BASIC KIT

STANDARD KIT

ADVANCED KIT

Common Applications for Respirable Silica Sampling

1. Construction (General & Specialized Trades):

1. • Why: This is arguably the largest and most diverse sector with significant silica exposure. Many common construction activities generate RCS.
   • Specific Activities: Concrete cutting/drilling/grinding, masonry (brick/block cutting), stone countertop fabrication/installation, drywall finishing (some joint compounds), abrasive blasting (sandblasting, though sand is often restricted, alternatives can still contain silica), demolition, road construction, tunneling, tile cutting.

2. Mining, Quarrying, and Oil & Gas Extraction (including Frac Sand):

   • Why: Directly involves excavating and processing silica-containing rock and sand. The rise of hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) has significantly increased demand for silica sand, leading to more exposure risks in its mining, processing, and handling.
   • Specific Activities: Rock drilling, crushing, grinding, screening, bagging of silica sand, hydraulic fracturing sand handling, well site operations.

3. Manufacturing (various sub-sectors):

   • Why: Many manufacturing processes use silica as a raw material or generate it as a byproduct.
   • Specific Sub-sectors & Activities:
     • Foundries: Casting molds are often made with silica sand (sand casting). Shakeout processes release significant dust.
     • Glass Manufacturing: Silica (sand) is a primary ingredient.
     • Ceramics, Pottery, Brick, and Clay Product Manufacturing: Raw materials contain silica. Cutting, grinding, and finishing processes.
     • Stone Product Manufacturing/Fabrication: Cutting, grinding, polishing natural and engineered stone (countertops, tiles, monuments). This overlaps with construction but also includes dedicated manufacturing facilities.
     • Abrasives Manufacturing: Some abrasive materials contain silica.
     • Paint and Coatings Manufacturing: Silica can be used as a filler.

4. Maritime (Shipyards and Abrasive Blasting):

   • Why: Abrasive blasting for surface preparation (removing paint, rust from ship hulls) has historically used silica-containing abrasives and remains a high-risk activity, even when alternatives are used, due to the nature of the work in confined or semi-enclosed spaces.
   • Specific Activities: Abrasive blasting, sandblasting (even if “sand” is a misnomer for the current abrasive), surface preparation, shipyard safety.

5. Dental Laboratories:

   • Why: Technicians in dental labs often grind, blast, and polish materials (like porcelain or investment materials) that contain silica to create crowns, bridges, and other dental prosthetics.
   • Specific Activities: Dental lab dust control, porcelain grinding, investment casting silica, dental technician safety.

6. Agriculture (Less direct, but emerging awareness):

   • Why: While not always the first thought, tilling dry, silica-rich soils, especially in arid regions, can generate airborne silica dust. Handling certain agricultural products (e.g., diatomaceous earth, which is silica) can also pose a risk. This is a less traditionally targeted area but awareness is growing.
   • Focus Areas: Agricultural dust, soil silica, diatomaceous earth safety.

Pro Tips – 5 Common Mistakes in Sampling Respirable Crystalline Silica

1. Failure to Calibrate the Cyclone Properly
   Before sampling, always calibrate the cyclone to ensure it is collecting respirable-sized particles accurately. Incorrect calibration can lead to invalid results that don’t reflect actual silica exposure.
2. Ignoring Pump Back Pressure in Dusty Environments
   In high-dust environments, monitor your sampling pump closely. For example, the Gilian GilAir Plus displays back pressure visually, while with the Gilian GilAir-3, you must listen for changes in sound. Failing to replace a clogged filter cassette in time may cause the pump to shut off or collect insufficient volume.
3. Incorrect Positioning and Handling of the Cyclone
   The cyclone must remain vertically positioned throughout sampling to function correctly. When ending the sample, keep it vertically, carefully remove the filter cassette and seal it with end caps immediately to prevent contamination or loss of collected material.
4. Using the Wrong Laboratory Analysis Method
   Selecting the correct analytical method is crucial. Gravimetric analysis provides only total dust mass and cannot differentiate crystalline silica. To measure respirable crystalline silica, use XRD (X-ray Diffraction) or FTIR (Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) following NIOSH Methods 7500 or 7602.
5. Incorrect Cyclone Flow Rate Calibration
   Always calibrate the cyclone at the flow rate recommended by the manufacturer (1.7 L/min for a Dorr-Oliver cyclone and 4.2L/min for GK 2.69 cyclone). Sampling at the wrong flow rate can result in inaccurate particle size separation, compromising data quality.