Crystalline Silica Monitoring – OSHA’s New Safety Standard

Overview

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a final rule to curb lung cancer, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and kidney disease in America’s workers by limiting their exposure to respirable crystalline silica. Let us help you refine or develop a rescue program design especially for your location. The rule is comprised of two standards:

• One for Construction
• One for General Industry and Maritime

Both standards contained in the final rule took effect on June 23, 2016, after which industries have one to five years to comply with most requirements.
The new standard reduces the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for respirable crystal- line silica to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air, averaged over an 8-hour shift.

Requirements

Requires employers to:

• Provide respirators when engineering controls cannot adequately limit exposure
• Develop a written exposure control plan, which will offer medical exams to highly exposed workers, and train workers on silica risks and how to limit exposures
• Provides medical exams to monitor highly exposed workers and gives them information about their lung health
• Provides flexibility to help employers — especially small businesses — protect workers from silica exposure
• Use engineering controls (such as water or ventilation) to limit worker exposure to the PEL
• Provides medical exams to monitor highly exposed workers and gives them information about their lung health

Compliance

SGS can help you with compliance to the new standard by:

• Required Written Exposure Program
• Air Monitoring Surveys to determine employee exposure
• Respiratory Protection Evaluation and Training
• Silica Awareness Level Training