WorkSafeBC

Those who primarily work in riding arenas or round pens with sand footing, such as equestrian riding coaches, riding instructors, and horse trainers, are at a higher risk of respiratory issues. 

Most riding arenas use sand in some form, whether in the subsurface, base, or as part of the footing. Nearly all sand contains crystalline silica, which, when disturbed by horse movement, creates fine airborne dust. This silica dust is inhaled by workers, riders, and horses alike.

What Health Risks Does Crystalline Silica Dust Pose?

Exposure to crystalline silica dust has been associated with serious health issues, including lung cancer. One example is a trainer who spent over two decades working in a sand arena, lunging seven to twelve horses daily. This long-term exposure to silica dust ultimately led to the trainer’s death from lung cancer linked to the dust.

Prolonged exposure can also lead to silicosis, a disabling and sometimes fatal lung disease. The fine particles deposited in the lungs cause thickening and scarring of the lung tissue. There is no cure for this entirely preventable disease.

Related: How to Choose the Right Footing for Your Riding Arena

All kinds of respirable dust may contribute to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in both humans and horses.

How to prevent exposure

By law in British Columbia, employers must do everything reasonably possible to eliminate worker exposure, including:

• Eliminating silica or substituting safer footing materials;
• Using medium-coarse, washed sand in footing materials rather than fine sand — medium-coarse washed sand is less likely to produce excessive dust;
• Using watering systems — regular watering helps reduce airborne dust levels and is both inexpensive and environmentally safe; and,
• Using dust-control products — examples include oils, waxes, salts, polymers, and alkanes.

Coarser sand and alternative footing materials will eventually break down and produce dust, and should be completely replaced periodically to help prevent exposure.

Create an exposure control plan

Crystalline silica is a human carcinogen; therefore, it requires an exposure control plan and precautions should be taken. WorkSafeBC mandates that if workers are exposed to a carcinogen, section 5.57 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation requires employers to implement an exposure control plan to maintain workers’ exposure as low as reasonably achievable below the exposure limit. The eight-hour exposure limit for respirable crystalline silica is 0.025 mg per cubic metre. As a general rule, if dust is visible in the air, workers are overexposed.

For more information, visit WorkSafeBC.

Related: Planning Your Horse's Run-In Shed

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