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Health & Safety

At Diresco, the health and safety of employees, customers, partners and end-users of our products is primary. Our products are composed of natural minerals including crystalline silica. This mineral is very common (about 12% of the earth's crust consists of it). In addition, other minerals, such as feldspar, are used in more and more products. Diresco products are very durable and safe for consumers and the environment.

Diresco composite

  • Diresco develops, produces and supplies products "Made in Belgium" from its Belgian production plant in Oudsbergen. 

  • Diresco products are produced on the basis of the following components : quartz granules, quartz powder, resins and pigments.
  • Diresco worktops are completely safe and harmless to the consumer as an end product and are certified with official safety certificates, such as e.g. NSF and Greenguard.

  • In terms of product development, Diresco is strongly committed to developing products with greatly reduced or even no silica content.

What is crystalline silica?

  • Crystalline silica occurs most commonly in nature as quartz.
  • Quartz-containing products are common in the construction industry. In worktops, but e.g. also in bricks, concrete and natural stone.
  • By itself, crystalline silica is inert and completely safe.
  • Only in dust form is it potentially harmful to the respiratory tract.
  • The dust particles, known as respirable crystalline silica (RCS) can be absorbed by the lungs. Long-term exposure to large amounts of RCS, can lead to silicosis or dust lung.
  • This substance is only released during processing (sawing, sanding, polishing, drilling,...) of materials containing it, i.e. mainly at the manufacturer and processor's premises.
  • In its finished form, silica-containing material is therefore perfectly safe and harmless for consumers.

Production and processing 

  • PPE such as dust masks should be used when processing such materials.

  • In production environments, dust is avoided by working with waterjet saws or extractors.

  • As for many materials, the rule is that if proper instructions are followed when handling materials, there is no health risk whatsoever.

  • In its finished form as a finished product, silica-containing material is perfectly safe and harmless to consumers.
  • To also inform our customers (stone processors) about correct, safe processing, a protective film is applied to our finished products containing safety instructions in eight languages.
  • At Diresco, we work in full compliance with strict European safety instructions to ensure a healthy and safe workplace for all our employees. Our employees are also medically monitored annually. To date, not a single case of dust lung or silicosis has been detected.

Certificates en labels

  • Diresco worktops are completely harmless to private individuals as finished products and are certified with official safety certificates, such as e.g. NSF and Greenguard.

 

Downloads en links

  • NEPSI stands for "European Network for Silica" and was founded by the trade associations of workers and employers in Europe. These associations have signed the social dialogue "Agreement on Workers' Health Protection Through the Good Handling and Use of Crystalline Silica " : https://nepsi.eu/