![]() ![]() ![]() Each employer has the liberty to determine the requirements, but the regulations do mention that “a full hour of training will be required for all covered workers.” Under the new rule, training is performance-based, depending on the worker’s knowledge and understanding of health hazards, best work practices, and respiratory protection specs. Training is also critical to increasing awareness of silica dust sources. Analyzing past exposure and latency should be part of this process. Prevention is always better than cure. Worker health surveillance is important to prevent or detect silicosis or other silica-related diseases. For a specific list of work activities and associated RPE, consult Table 1. OSHA also recommends filter efficiency no lower than a 95 rating. NIOSH recommends half-piece particulate respirators with N95 filters for airborne silica particles, for concentrations less or equal to 0.5mg/m3. Protection from respirable crystalline silica takes the form of a filtering facepiece or a reusable facepiece with filters, based on the level of dust concentration. This program includes periodic environmental monitoring, selection of NIOSH-approved respirators, respirator fit testing, and rules for inspection and cleaning of RPE. The employer first needs to establish a comprehensive respiratory protection program, as described in the Guide to Industrial Respiratory Protection (NIOSH 1987a) and as required in the OSHA respiratory protection standard (.1.103). When these measures prove inefficient, respiratory PPE, or RPE, becomes mandatory. Other tools include shrouds and dust collections systems, such as vacuums with self-cleaning HEPA filters. This solution reduced dust exposure by 70% to 90%. NIOSH tested a water spray to suppress dust created during concrete pavement breaking. Most silica dust control methods imply using tools and equipment that feed water to the work surface to keep dust away. If this is not possible, engineering controls need to be set up. Work processes should be isolated, and proper ventilation should be provided. Ideally, silica-containing materials should be replaced, whenever possible. Note that construction employers who follow Table 1 are not required to monitor employee exposure to silica and are not subject to the PEL. Each task includes engineering controls, work practices, and the respiratory PPE required. Table 1 outlines 18 tasks commonly associated with respirable silica dust exposure. ![]() “Expanding Table 1 to include additional engineering and work practice control methods, equipment, and tasks could provide employers with more flexibility and reduce regulatory burdens while maintaining protections for employees,” OSHA’s press release says. OSHA will follow through with the revisions if they are approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The agency is also gathering information on silica-generating equipment. 14, 2019, on operations and the effectiveness of dust control measures not currently listed in Table 1. Specifically, the agency is looking for feedback before Oct. 15, 2019, OSHA released a request for information and comment on Table 1 of the Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for Construction (1926.1153). If a worker is exposed to 100 mcg/m3, for instance, he should perform the task for half the time. Measuring silica exposure is typically done through air monitoring. During a normal work shift, a battery-operated vacuum attached to an operator’s collar collects a sample by pulling air through a cyclone, and the particles are then analyzed in a laboratory. How much time can a worker be exposed, and at what level of exposure?.How much dust is released when performing a specific task?.To understand and comply with the new OSHA PEL, three factors need to be considered: air, time and dust. Did you know a paver releases 45 million mcg of dust into the air?Īccording to OSHA’s new rule, for every meter of cubic air the worker breathes, he or she should inhale no more than 50 mcg of silica, averaged over an eight-hour shift. ![]()
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