The most common from of the disease, chronic silicosis can take 20 to 40 years to develop, but much shorter exposures at higher concentrations can result more deadly types of the disease. Acute silicosis, can occur after a single heavy dose or brief exposures to very high concentration of silica dust.
Often workers will recall being blanketed with dust while working at a particular job or cutting through something. they recall dust so thick they couldn't see. These are very dangerous environments.
