During the Fall 1987 Santa Fe Symposium on Jewelry Manufacturing Technology the first discussions on potential health and safety issues began. At this symposium a paper was presented on cyanide exposures by the present author. Since that presentation numerous other health and safety issues have been addressed both formally and informally at the Santa Fe Symposiums. These issues have included OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard, cadmium, ammonia, solvents, acids, additional information on cyanide, and potential silica exposures.

This paper will focus on the findings of a two year study (Phase I and II) that was conducted by the Santa Fe Silica Project, a study group formed in 1987 to investigate silica hazards which potentially exist at various stages of investment and casting operations in the jewelry manufacturing industry.

In general, a series of tests were conducted from 1988 to 1989 to measure both total silica and respirable silica (i.e. sub 10 micron particles which penetrate the lower levels of the lung and may cause disease). These measurements were taken at various stages throughout the investing and casting operations. During the 1988 study a number of results and conclusions were found which were thought to deserve further study. This included the discrepancy between the type and percent silica used in the investment process as described on the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS); low exposure results found in some stages of the processes expected to be high, and high exposure levels found at one stage in the operation thought to have low exposure potential.

Author: Paul Pryor