Covia continues to prioritize reducing the risk of exposure to respirable silica dust and related diseases, such as silicosis. Through a hands-on approach, Covia worked with plants to apply collective expertise and best practices for the protection of its employees, neighbors, and the environment. This included:

• Working more closely with sites experiencing elevated silica exposure levels to develop advanced dust control measures;
• Establishing routine meetings with safety and health leaders to discuss specific risks and opportunities; and
• Increasing communication across the organization, including a summary of activities and exposure levels.

Covia invested $2.0 million in projects focused on reducing dust exposure across its locations. Notably, the Wedron, Illinois, plant introduced several impactful tools and initiatives to improve dust mitigation in its silica operations. This included:

• Stationing a wheel wash at the transition from unpaved to paved roadways to reduce mud, dust, and fugitive emissions;
• Installing concrete sand-storage bunkers at numerous locations at the facility to temporarily accumulate sands and reduce contamination;
• Replacing pavement with easier to clean surfaces across the site, and purchasing two street sweepers; and
• Replacing a water scrubber, used to control particulate emissions, with a more efficient and effective scrubber.

Covia’s Oregon, Illinois, plant also adopted an innovative update to the screen-change procedures to reduce dust exposure. By applying a small amount of Covia’s DST® Dust Suppression Technology on the site’s screening equipment (outside of the machines, screen decks, and screens) prior to maintenance, the plant achieved a 60% reduction in airborne respirable dust.

For more information about this and other corporate responsibility topics, visit our library of topic-specific summary documents.

Covia

Covia

At Covia, we are committed to being more than just a leading provider of high-performance mineral and material solutions – we believe that our company can make a positive difference in the world. This belief is what drives our environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy, which is influenced by both our journey as an organization and the events in the world around us.

Our commitment to operating as a responsible corporate citizen has been embedded into every aspect of our business for decades and serves as the foundation for Covia’s ESG initiatives. From our operations to our Team Members and the communities in which we live and work, we continue to define WHAT WE’RE MADE OF as more than the materials we produce, but the impact we can make in every interaction.

In 2021, we enhanced our approach toward accelerating ESG performance by developing our formal GOALS THAT INSPIRE: ESG 2030. These 10 goals, broken into our three core areas - Environmental Stewardship, Positive Social Impact and Responsible Governance & Ethics - were developed by Covia Team members across the company and are designed to drive tangible and measurable progress in areas where we can make the most impact.

We have the commitment and strategy in place to drive meaningful progress and we are pledging to make a positive differences for our people, our planet and our communities.

More from Covia