CCE 2025 Education Schedule
Conference Sessions

The Silica Control Tool: A free online tool to protect lung health

Date & Time: Thursday Feb 13, 2025 at 11:15 am
Duration: 50 minutes
Location: Room C
Registration: $50 plus hst

Description

Construction workers and employers in British Columbia, Ontario, and New Brunswick can access a free online resource to help protect workers from inhaling airborne silica dust. The Silica Control Tool uses real-life data to estimate the amount of silica dust being produced during construction work by considering the material, task and tool used. The Tool generates a plan to reduce exposure so that workers can do their jobs safely.

Silica is a common, naturally occurring mineral that is present in many construction materials, including concrete. Silica dust is known to cause lung diseases such as silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. Roughly 200 Ontario construction workers are diagnosed with lung cancer caused by silica exposure every year. The Silica Control Tool empowers workers and employers to create evidence-based plans for working safely with silica.

Presented by

Melanie Gorman Ng
Melanie Gorman Ng, Health and Exposure Scientist, BC Construction Safety Alliance
Melanie Gorman Ng, PhD, is an occupational hygiene researcher and a Certified Industrial Hygienist. She is the Health and Exposure Scientist at the BC Construction Safety Alliance (BCCSA), a not-for-profit industry association dedicated to providing health and safety services to the British Columbia construction industry. Dr. Gorman Ng is also an adjunct professor in the University of British Columbia School of Population and Public Health. She developed the database and model that drives the Silica Control Tool with Dr. Hugh Davies of the UBC School of Population and Public Health.
Meghan Friesen
Meghan Friesen, Occupational Hygienist, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers
Meghan Friesen is a Registered Occupational Hygienist with the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW), a not-for-profit dedicated to the identification and prevention of work-related illnesses. Occupational hygienists at OHCOW investigate past occupational processes and occupational exposures as a part of an interdisciplinary health team. Meghan is the technical lead for the Ontario Silica Control Tool where she provides practical guidance to those using the Tool in Ontario. This includes seminars, workshops, conferences and contributing to improvements.
Sponsored by:
BC Construction Safety Alliance & Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers Inc.

Registration Details

This session requires paid registration to attend.
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