About 2.3 million workers are exposed to respirable crystalline silica in their workplaces. This includes 2 million construction workers who drill, cut, crush or grind silica-containing materials such as concrete and stone, and 300,000 workers in general industry operations such as brick manufacturing, foundries, and hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking.
Silica dust ranks with asbestos and coal as one of the most lung damaging particles that workers can breathe on the job. When tiny bits of silica dust lodge deep in the lungs it can cause permanent scarring, lung cancer, silicosis, chronic pulmonary disease and damage to the immune system and kidneys.
Right now, doctors often diagnose silica lung disease after it is fairly advanced and too late to take preventive measures.
OSHA has issued a final rule that will substantially reduce the permissible exposure limit to half the current limit for general industry and 5 times more stringent than the current exposure limit for construction.
OSHA estimates once the effects of this rule are fully realized it will save over 600 lives and prevent more than 900 new cases of silicosis each year.
The following are key provisions to the new rule:
- The new permissible exposure limit (PEL) for respirable crystalline silica will be 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air over an averaged 8-hour shift.
- Require employers to use engineering controls (such as water or ventilation) to limit worker exposure to the PEL; provide respirators when engineering controls cannot adequately limit exposure; limit worker access to high exposure areas; develop a written exposure control plan, offer medical exams to highly exposed workers, and train workers on silica risks and how to limit exposures.
- Provide medical exams to monitor highly exposed workers and give them information about their lung health.
Standards contained in the final rule take effect on June 23, 2016, after which the construction industry and general industries have one to two years to comply, based on the following schedule:
Construction – June 23, 2017, one year after the effective date.
General Industry – June 23, 2018, two years after the effective date.
Premier Safety Solutions
Maryland Construction Safety Consultants
PO Box 353
Taneytown, MD 21787
410-346-8060