Invisible Threats and Real Consequences: Silica and Worker Health with Nayab Sultan
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Silica has been recognized as a workplace hazard for generations, yet in many jobsites it is still poorly understood, pushed down the priority list, and handled inconsistently across industries.
In this episode of The Safety Spotlight, we speak with Nayab Sultan, an occupational and environmental health specialist with decades of global experience, to explain why silica remains a high-impact risk that is easy to miss until serious harm has already occurred.
Using examples from construction, mining, infrastructure work, and international health settings, Nayab breaks down what respirable crystalline silica does once it is inhaled, why exposure cannot be treated casually, and how silicosis can progress quietly over long periods or, in severe conditions, develop rapidly. He also explains why silicosis is often mistaken for tuberculosis, what that misdiagnosis leads to, and how gaps in training and early risk recognition continue to expose workers unnecessarily.
We move past surface-level compliance and into the bigger system problems: uneven education standards for safety professionals, weak long-term exposure tracking for mobile and short-term workers, and the false confidence that can come from routine and familiarity. We also explore how newer AI-supported tools are starting to improve early detection and diagnosis, especially in areas with limited resources, and what Canada can take away from regions where silica exposure has reached crisis levels.
This episode reinforces a hard truth: illnesses linked to silica are preventable, but only when the risk is identified early, controls are applied consistently, and tough conversations are not postponed.
What You’ll Learn
- Why silica exposure does not behave like many other jobsite hazards
- How silicosis develops, including chronic, accelerated, and acute forms
- Why silicosis is frequently confused with tuberculosis and why that failure matters
- How repeated low-level exposure can be as damaging as short-term high exposure
- Where current training and awareness efforts leave dangerous gaps
- How production pressure and “push through it” habits shape long-term health outcomes
- How AI is improving detection and what that could mean for worker health going forward
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nayabsultan/
Website: https://nayabsultan.com/
