webinar: osha’s updated silica dust rule
TRANSCRIPT
OSHA’s Updated Silica Dust Rule
Overview of OSHA’s newstandard
Table of Contents
Introduction
Applicability
What is Silica Dust? Does the Rule Apply?
Why is regulation needed?
Review of Updated Standard
Construction v. General Industry/Maritime
Timeline for Compliance
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Webinar Series
Silica Dust Rule
TSCA Reform: More to come
Applicability
What is Silica Dust A type of dust from silica (crystalline quartz) which causes breathing problems in workers
in the fields of mining, stone cutting, quarrying (especially granite), blasting, road and building construction industries that manufacture abrasives, and farming. Breathing the dust causes silicosis, a severe disease that can scar the lungs. (Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine)
Examples: Quartz, stone, sand, rock, concrete, brick
2.3 Million Workers Exposed
How does exposure occur? Cutting, drilling, crushing, sawing of concrete, brick, stone, etc
Large uses of sand: glass manufacturing, sand blasting, foundries
Construction: 90% of exposure
Other Industries: glass products, concrete, foundries
Why Regulate?
Hazardous Substance Silica dust is hazardous when small particles are inhaled
Cause respiratory issues including fatal lung disease
Fatal Lung Disease Silicosis
Lung cancer
Kidney disease
Significant Exposure 2.3 million U.S. workers potentially exposed
New Rule
Permissible Exposure Limit All Industries: 50 μg/m3 as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA)
Exemptions: exposure remains below 25 μg/m3 as an 8-hour TWA under any foreseeable conditions (i.e. Action Level = 25 μg/m3 as an 8-hour TWA)
Exposure Control Standards for Exposure Assessment
Methods to Control Exposure
Respiratory Protection
Written Exposure Control Plan
Hazard Communication
Medical Surveillance
Recordkeeping
General Industry v. Construction Regulated Areas
General Industry: areas where PEL is exceeded must be demarcated with signage that this is for authorized personnel only to minimize exposure
Construction Regulated Areas: this section not in the construction standard, presumably b/c more difficult to regulate at a construction site
Competent Person
Construction: Must be able to identify silica hazards, both existing and foreseeable and be able to take action to address those hazards
General Industry: this section not in the general industry standard; likely because Construction will have more exposure routes than a factory;
Medical Surveillance
General Industry: required when exposure is over action level for 30 days or more per year
Construction: required when employee must wear respirator for 30 days or more per year
Timeline for Compliance
Construction June 23, 2017 – one year after the effective date
General Industry and Maritime June 23, 2018 – two years after the effective date
Hydraulic Fracturing June 23, 2018 – two years after the effective date except
for Engineering Controls: June 23, 2021
How to Proceed to Compliance
1. Do I have any processes that release silica dust?
2. Have I evaluated employee exposure?
3. Does exposure exceed the action level (25 μg/m3 8-hour TWA)?
4. Have I created a written exposure plan?
5. Do you review employee exposure and the exposure plan according to OSHA Rule?
