Ever since the early 2000s, the Italian ceramic tile industry has been adopting technical and organisational measures designed to protect workers from the risk of exposure to chemical agents.
Respirable crystalline silica dust has long been a cause of concern.

The measures adopted by ceramic tile producers have achieved excellent results in terms of health and safety in factories.

The Memorandum signed in 2021 between Confindustria Ceramica, the Emilia-Romagna regional government, Acimac and the trade unions following the transposition of EU Directive 2017/2398 into Italian law is an important tool for ensuring clear and unambiguous interpretation of the regulations adopted in the Italian ceramic tile industry and balances the needs of occupational health and safety with those of competitiveness.

For the first time ever, the document sets out clear and unambiguous criteria for identifying the tasks that involve exposure to crystalline silica produced by industrial processes.

The EU has established that exposure levels to respirable crystalline silica dust must not exceed a limit of 0.1 mg/m3 during an eight-hour working day.

By adopting a collaborative approach, the Italian ceramic tile industry has reduced the values for exposure to respirable crystalline silica dust in its factories to well below the limits established by European directives and transposed into Italian law.