Watch iSi’s Free Webinar Covering OSHA’s General Industry Silica Regulation

Watch iSi’s Free Webinar Covering OSHA’s General Industry Silica Regulation

A photo of a worker is potentially exposed to OSHA's general industry silica standard.

Webinar

Watch our webinar to determine how these regulations apply to your organization.

OSHA’s general industry silica standard went into effect on June 23, 2018.  iSi recorded a webinar on Friday, June 22, 2018 which covered:

  • Elements of the New Standard
  • Exposure Sampling Requirements and Compliance
  • Dust Controls
  • Respiratory Protection Implications
  • Medical Implications
  • and More!

This webinar is free — click here to watch it now!

Is your company affected?  Check out our previous blog article “Is Your Company Affected by the New General Industry Silica Standard?” to see if your industry could be a target.

We have also summarized some of the requirements of the new standard here.

Is Your Company Affected by the New Silica General Industry Standard?

Is Your Company Affected by the New Silica General Industry Standard?

OSHA’s silica general industry standard will be enforced starting June 23, 2018.  Is your company affected by this new standard?

Silica can be found in a number of materials.  Silica is a fine particle which is a respiratory hazard.  Which industries are affected by silica, what products contain silica and which tasks generate silica exposures?  See the list below:

  • Use of Industrial Sand in Production
  • Abrasive Sand Blasting
  • Paint and Coating Production
  • Chemical Production
  • Metal Casting and Production
  • Foundry Work
  • Glass
  • Pottery
  • Ceramic
  • Porcelain Products
  • Dental Products
  • Brick
  • Artificial Stone
  • Concrete
  • Asphalt Roofing
  • Jewelry
  • Clay Products
  • Ready-Mix Concrete
  • Refractory Products
  • Refractory Furnace Installation
  • Railroad Transport
  • Filtration and Water Production

(Source: OSHA’s silica guidance and the National Industrial Sand Association)

If your company produces any of these products, you need to determine your exposure levels and follow guidelines set forth by the new silica standard.  Learn more about what these guidelines are in our previous blog post “OSHA’s Silica Rule for General Industry.”

Need Help?

iSi can help determine if the regulation applies to you and help you comply with the standard!

Let iSi help you pull together your beryllium compliance program!

OSHA’s Silica Rule for General Industry

OSHA’s Silica Rule for General Industry

The OSHA silica rule for general industry/maritime is more geared toward proving silica exposures are occurring below certain levels and thus there is more of a sampling focus.

Exposure Sampling

Employers must conduct exposure monitoring for silica if the potential for exposure could be at or above an action level of 25 µm3 (micrograms per cubic meter of air), averaged over an 8-hour day.  The maximum limit, also known as the permissible exposure limit (PEL) is 50 µm3, averaged over an 8-hour day (the old PEL was 100 µm3). If your workers’ exposures are above the PEL, your company must take measures to protect workers from exposure.

Affected employees must be notified, in writing, of assessment results and what’s being done to control exposures.  If results are above the action level but below the PEL, sampling will need to occur every 6 months until exposures are below the action level for 2 consecutive measurements.  If results are above the PEL, sampling will need to occur every 3 months until exposures are below the action level for 2 consecutive measurements.

Unless the potential for silica exposure is 0%, if there’s even a slight potential for silica exposures, it’s best to conduct the sampling to know exactly what your exposure levels are for documentation purposes. Documentation of your exposure assessment is very important for your recordkeeping files and shows due diligence with the standard.

Anytime a process or change occurs in the facility, monitoring must be conducted again.

Other Requirements

  • Dust Controls — Dust controls need to be used to protect workers from exposures above the PEL. In most cases, wet methods and ventilation can be used to aid in this.  Again, your exposure sampling will be able to tell you how well your dust controls are working.
  • Respirators — When dust controls don’t keep exposures below the PEL, respirators are required.
  • Medical Exams — Medical exams including chest X-rays and lung function tests must be offered to workers exposed at or above the action level (25 µm3) for 30 or more days per year. These must be offered every 3 years.
  • Warning Signs — Warning signs must be posted at entrances to areas where exposures above the PEL may occur.

Compliance Deadlines

Employers must comply with all requirements of the standard by June 23, 2018 with some exceptions for medical surveillance and hydraulic fracturing.

Medical surveillance for those exposed above the PEL (50 µm3) for 30 or more days must be offered to employees starting June 23, 2018.  Medical surveillance for those exposed above the action level (25 µm3) for 30 or more days starting June 23, 2020.

Hydraulic fracturing operations in the oil and gas industry must implement their engineering controls to limit exposures to the new PEL by June 23, 2021.  Significant efforts are currently being made to develop effective dust control technologies specifically for this industry.  Many of these are in development and have demonstrated promise.  Although some are commercially available, many are still in development and those available now have not been widely implemented yet.  The potential effectiveness of these controls is why OSHA has given some extra time for this industry for development and implementation.

Now What?  How Can iSi Help You With This Standard?

iSi is here to help your company comply with this new standard. We can assist with:

  • Compliance Determinations, Audits and Checklists – Helping you determine if this standard applies to you, evaluating your site for exposure potential, determining areas needing warning signs or restricted access, and making a compliance checklist for you
  • Exposure Sampling – Sampling your facility or construction sites for exposure levels, arranging for lab analysis of samples, preparing documentation for recordkeeping, and preparing your written employee notices
  • Written Program Development – Preparing your exposure control plan or respiratory protection program
  • Training – Silica training and respiratory protection training
  • Respirator Fit-Testing – Annual respirator fit-testing (after your medical surveillance is complete)
  • Answering Questions – Our safety and industrial hygiene experts on-staff can help you with any other questions you may have.

Contact us today with questions or pricing requests.

h

Resources

Here are some helpful resources for silica in general industry:

 

 

 

 

Need assistance in sorting out these silica changes?  Let us help!

OSHA’s Silica Rule for General Industry

Watch iSi’s Free Webinar on Silica in Construction

Webinar

Watch our free webinar on the construction silica standard.

OSHA’s silica in construction standard goes into effect on September 23, 2017.  iSi recorded a webinar to cover the following aspects of the standard:

  • Elements of the New Standard
  • Exposure Sampling Requirements and Compliance
  • Engineering and Equipment Controls Overview
  • Respiratory Protection
  • Housekeeping
  • Medical Surveillance
  • Training Requirements

This webinar is free – click here to go to it.  If you have questions or need help with silica issues afterwards, please contact us!

 

OSHA’s silica in construction standard goes into effect on September 23, 2017.  iSi recorded a webinar to cover the following aspects of the standard:

  • Elements of the New Standard
  • Exposure Sampling Requirements and Compliance
  • Engineering and Equipment Controls Overview
  • Respiratory Protection
  • Housekeeping
  • Medical Surveillance
  • Training Requirements

This webinar is free – click here to go to it.  If you have questions or need help with silica issues afterwards, please contact us!

 

Webinar

Watch our webinar to determine how these regulations apply to your organization.

Need help sorting out these new silica requirements? Let iSi help!

Silica Rule Enforcement: OSHA Giving “Good Faith Efforts” a 30 Day Extension

Silica Rule Enforcement: OSHA Giving “Good Faith Efforts” a 30 Day Extension

osha-silica-dust-construction-general industry-webinar

Webinar

View our free webinar to determine how these regulations apply to your organization.

OSHA’s new Silica in Construction Rule (29 CFR 1926.1153) went into effect on September 23, 2017. For most regulations, this is typically the day the agency can start enforcing the rule and issuing citations. Because of the way the rule is structured, with the Table 1 approach, OSHA’s instructed its regional administrators to take employers’ good faith efforts into account when conducting inspections over the next 30 days.

This means if you are required to comply with the new rule, and making an effort to come into compliance, OSHA will likely use any potential violations as an opportunity for assistance and outreach rather than enforcement.   This will occur for 30 days, or until October 23, 2017. After that time, inspection and citation directives will be finalized and the rule will be fully enforced.

If OSHA finds your company is NOT trying to comply yet, they will be conducting air exposure monitoring of your site, and you will be eligible for citations. Any citations issued before October 23, 2017 will need to be reviewed by OSHA’s National Office.

Are you making a good faith effort right not? What do you need to be working on to comply with the standard? Watch our free silica in construction webinar!

Webinar

View our free webinar to determine how these regulations apply to your organization.

OSHA’s new Silica in Construction Rule (29 CFR 1926.1153) went into effect on September 23. For most regulations, this is typically the day the agency can start enforcing the rule and issuing citations. Because of the way the rule is structured, with the Table 1 approach, OSHA’s instructed its regional administrators to take employers’ good faith efforts into account when conducting inspections over the next 30 days.

This means if you are required to comply with the new rule, and making an effort to come into compliance, OSHA will likely use any potential violations as an opportunity for assistance and outreach rather than enforcement.   This will occur for 30 days, or until October 23. After that time, inspection and citation directives will be finalized and the rule will be fully enforced.

If OSHA finds your company is NOT trying to comply yet, they will be conducting air exposure monitoring of your site, and you will be eligible for citations. Any citations issued before October 23 will need to be reviewed by OSHA’s National Office.

Are you making a good faith effort right not? What do you need to be working on to comply with the standard? Watch our free silica in construction webinar!

OSHA’s Silica Rule for General Industry

OSHA’s Silica Rule for Construction

Webinar

Watch our webinar to determine how these regulations apply to your company.

Construction requirements are more geared toward methods of controlling exposures and silica exposure sampling.

Table 1

The construction standard has a table of common construction tasks and the instructions on how to control dust for each.  This is referred to as Table 1.  As long as your company is following the actions required of Table 1, your company will not be required to conduct sampling and won’t be subject to the PEL requirement. Please note that some of the instructions in Table 1 require workers to wear respirators.  If your workers currently do not wear respirators, use of respirators will trigger the need to comply with 29 CFR 1910.134 for use of respirators.  This would include developing a written respiratory protection program, annual respirator physicals, annual respirator training and annual respirator fit-testing. Contact us here for a copy of Table 1

What if You Don’t Want to Follow Table 1?  More on Silica Exposure Sampling

Employers who choose not to follow the guidance of Table 1 will then be subject to the requirements of the action level and the PEL.  This triggers the additional sampling and monitoring requirements that the general industry standard requires. Employers will need to conduct exposure monitoring for silica if the potential for exposure could be at or above an action level of 25 µm3 (micrograms per cubic meter of air), averaged over an 8-hour day.  The PEL is 50 µm3, averaged over an 8-hour day (the old PEL for construction was 250 µm3).

Affected employees must be notified in writing of assessment results and if it’s above the PEL, the notification will need to include what’s being done to control exposures.  If results are above the action level but below the PEL, sampling will need to occur every 6 months until exposures are below the action level for 2 consecutive measurements.  If results are above the PEL, sampling will need to occur every 3 months until exposures are below the action level for 2 consecutive measurements. Unless the potential for silica exposure is 0%, if there’s even a slight potential for silica exposures, it’s best to conduct the sampling to know exactly what your exposure levels are for documentation purposes.

Documentation of your exposure assessment is very important for your recordkeeping files and shows due diligence with the standard. Anyone above the PEL and not using Table 1 must take measures to protect workers from exposure.  Dust controls need to be used to protect workers from exposures above the PEL. When dust controls don’t work, respirators are required.

Other Requirements for Construction

  • Medical Exams — Medical exams that include chest X-rays and lung function tests must be offered to workers who are required by the standard to wear respirators for 30 or more days per year. These exams must be offered every 3 years.
  • Competent Person — Your company will need to designate a competent person to implement the your written exposure control plan.
  • Restricted Access — Procedures for how your company will restrict access to work areas where high exposures may occur must be included in your written exposure control plan.

Compliance Deadlines

Employers must comply with all requirements of the standard by September 23, 2017.  If your company chooses to use exposure sampling and laboratory analysis, then the compliance deadline for laboratory evaluation of exposure samples is June 23, 2018.

Now What?  How Can iSi Help You With This Standard?

iSi is here to help your company comply with this new standard. We can assist with:

  • Compliance Determinations, Audits and Checklists – Helping you determine if this standard applies to you, evaluating your site for exposure potential, determining areas needing warning signs or restricted access, and making a compliance checklist for you
  • Exposure Sampling – Sampling your facility or construction sites for exposure levels, arranging for lab analysis of samples, preparing documentation for recordkeeping, and preparing your written employee notices
  • Written Program Development – Preparing your exposure control plan or respiratory protection program
  • Training – Silica training and respiratory protection training
  • Respirator Fit-Testing – Annual respirator fit-testing (after your medical surveillance is complete)
  • Answering Questions – Our safety and industrial hygiene experts on-staff can help you with any other questions you may have.

Contact us today with questions or pricing requests.

Webinar

Attend our webinar to determine how these regulations apply to your organization.

Construction requirements are more geared toward methods of controlling exposures and silica exposure sampling.

Table 1

The construction standard has a table of common construction tasks and the instructions on how to control dust for each.  This is referred to as Table 1.  As long as your company is following the actions required of Table 1, your company will not be required to conduct sampling and won’t be subject to the PEL requirement. Please note that some of the instructions in Table 1 require workers to wear respirators.  If your workers currently do not wear respirators, use of respirators will trigger the need to comply with 29 CFR 1910.134 for use of respirators.  This would include developing a written respiratory protection program, annual respirator physicals, annual respirator training and annual respirator fit-testing. Contact us here for a copy of Table 1

What if You Don’t Want to Follow Table 1?  More on Silica Exposure Sampling

Employers who choose not to follow the guidance of Table 1 will then be subject to the requirements of the action level and the PEL.  This triggers the additional sampling and monitoring requirements that the general industry standard requires. Employers will need to conduct exposure monitoring for silica if the potential for exposure could be at or above an action level of 25 µm3 (micrograms per cubic meter of air), averaged over an 8-hour day.  The PEL is 50 µm3, averaged over an 8-hour day (the old PEL for construction was 250 µm3).

Affected employees must be notified in writing of assessment results and if it’s above the PEL, the notification will need to include what’s being done to control exposures.  If results are above the action level but below the PEL, sampling will need to occur every 6 months until exposures are below the action level for 2 consecutive measurements.  If results are above the PEL, sampling will need to occur every 3 months until exposures are below the action level for 2 consecutive measurements. Unless the potential for silica exposure is 0%, if there’s even a slight potential for silica exposures, it’s best to conduct the sampling to know exactly what your exposure levels are for documentation purposes.

Documentation of your exposure assessment is very important for your recordkeeping files and shows due diligence with the standard. Anyone above the PEL and not using Table 1 must take measures to protect workers from exposure.  Dust controls need to be used to protect workers from exposures above the PEL. When dust controls don’t work, respirators are required.

Other Requirements for Construction

  • Medical Exams — Medical exams that include chest X-rays and lung function tests must be offered to workers who are required by the standard to wear respirators for 30 or more days per year. These exams must be offered every 3 years.
  • Competent Person — Your company will need to designate a competent person to implement the your written exposure control plan.
  • Restricted Access — Procedures for how your company will restrict access to work areas where high exposures may occur must be included in your written exposure control plan.

Compliance Deadlines

Employers must comply with all requirements of the standard by September 23, 2017.  If your company chooses to use exposure sampling and laboratory analysis, then the compliance deadline for laboratory evaluation of exposure samples is June 23, 2018.

Now What?  How Can iSi Help You With This Standard?

iSi is here to help your company comply with this new standard. We can assist with:

  • Compliance Determinations, Audits and Checklists – Helping you determine if this standard applies to you, evaluating your site for exposure potential, determining areas needing warning signs or restricted access, and making a compliance checklist for you
  • Exposure Sampling – Sampling your facility or construction sites for exposure levels, arranging for lab analysis of samples, preparing documentation for recordkeeping, and preparing your written employee notices
  • Written Program Development – Preparing your exposure control plan or respiratory protection program
  • Training – Silica training and respiratory protection training
  • Respirator Fit-Testing – Annual respirator fit-testing (after your medical surveillance is complete)
  • Answering Questions – Our safety and industrial hygiene experts on-staff can help you with any other questions you may have.

Contact us today with questions or pricing requests.

Need help sorting out these new silica requirements? Let iSi help!

OSHA’s Silica Rule for General Industry

OSHA’s New Silica Rule

Webinar

Watch our webinar to determine how these regulations apply to your organization.

OSHA’s crystalline silica rule has been finalized.  There are separate requirements for general industry/maritime and construction.

First, How Do You Become Exposed to Silica?

Crystalline silica can cause respirable and kidney disease and some cancers. Crystalline silica is a basic component of sand, soil, granite and many minerals.  Common forms include quartz, cristobalite and tridymite.  It becomes respirable when it is cut, ground, drilled or chipped.

In general industry and maritime, silica is associated with industries such as concrete and ready-mix concrete products, cut stone, foundries, support for oil and gas operations, railroads, asphalt roofing materials, jewelry, dental labs, porcelain enameling, shipyards, structural clay and pottery.

In construction, silica exposures come with working with materials containing silica.  Grinding, drilling, sawing, cutting or chipping concrete, stone, cement or cement fiberboard would all be examples of potential silica exposures.

Requirements Applicable to Both General Industry/Maritime and Construction

The general industry/maritime and the construction regulations share some requirements including:

  • Written Exposure Control Plan — Your company must prepare and implement a written exposure control plan that identifies tasks which could create exposures and the methods your company will use to protect workers.
  • Housekeeping — Housekeeping practices such as dry sweeping, dry brushing, and the use of compressed air (unless used in conjunction with a ventilation system) which expose workers to silica where feasible alternatives are available is not allowed.
  • Training — Worker training in silica exposure is required. Workers must be able to demonstrate: knowledge of hazards, specific tasks which could cause exposures, the employer’s methods of controlling exposures, information from the standard and the purpose and description of the medical surveillance program.  To help document demonstration of knowledge, you may want to give a quiz.
  • Recordkeeping — Your company must keep detailed records of silica exposure and medical exams on file. For general industry/maritime, it’s all detailed exposure sampling records.  How your company chooses to comply with the standard will determine which records you keep.

What’s Unique to Each?

We have written separate blog posts about the general industry and construction rules.  Go to:  CONSTRUCTION    GENERAL INDUSTRY

Now What?  How Can iSi Help You With This Standard?

iSi is here to help your company comply with this new standard. We can assist with:

  • Compliance Determinations, Audits and Checklists – Helping you determine if this standard applies to you, evaluating your site for exposure potential, determining areas needing warning signs or restricted access, and making a compliance checklist for you
  • Exposure Sampling – Sampling your facility or construction sites for exposure levels, arranging for lab analysis of samples, preparing documentation for recordkeeping, and preparing your written employee notices
  • Written Program Development – Preparing your exposure control plan or respiratory protection program
  • Training – Silica training and respiratory protection training
  • Respirator Fit-Testing – Annual respirator fit-testing (after your medical surveillance is complete)
  • Answering Questions – Our safety and industrial hygiene experts on-staff can help you with any other questions you may have.

Contact us today or watch our free webinar about the changes using the link below.

Webinar

Watch our webinar to determine how these regulations apply to your organization.

OSHA’s crystalline silica rule has been finalized.  There are separate requirements for general industry/maritime and construction.

First, How Do You Become Exposed to Silica?

Crystalline silica can cause respirable and kidney disease and some cancers. Crystalline silica is a basic component of sand, soil, granite and many minerals.  Common forms include quartz, cristobalite and tridymite.  It becomes respirable when it is cut, ground, drilled or chipped.

In general industry and maritime, silica is associated with industries such as concrete and ready-mix concrete products, cut stone, foundries, support for oil and gas operations, railroads, asphalt roofing materials, jewelry, dental labs, porcelain enameling, shipyards, structural clay and pottery.

In construction, silica exposures come with working with materials containing silica.  Grinding, drilling, sawing, cutting or chipping concrete, stone, cement or cement fiberboard would all be examples of potential silica exposures.

Requirements Applicable to Both General Industry/Maritime and Construction

The general industry/maritime and the construction regulations share some requirements including:

  • Written Exposure Control Plan — Your company must prepare and implement a written exposure control plan that identifies tasks which could create exposures and the methods your company will use to protect workers.
  • Housekeeping — Housekeeping practices such as dry sweeping, dry brushing, and the use of compressed air (unless used in conjunction with a ventilation system) which expose workers to silica where feasible alternatives are available is not allowed.
  • Training — Worker training in silica exposure is required. Workers must be able to demonstrate: knowledge of hazards, specific tasks which could cause exposures, the employer’s methods of controlling exposures, information from the standard and the purpose and description of the medical surveillance program.  To help document demonstration of knowledge, you may want to give a quiz.
  • Recordkeeping — Your company must keep detailed records of silica exposure and medical exams on file. For general industry/maritime, it’s all detailed exposure sampling records.  How your company chooses to comply with the standard will determine which records you keep.

What’s Unique to Each?

We have written separate blog posts about the general industry and construction rules.  Go to:  CONSTRUCTION    GENERAL INDUSTRY

Now What?  How Can iSi Help You With This Standard?

iSi is here to help your company comply with this new standard. We can assist with:

  • Compliance Determinations, Audits and Checklists – Helping you determine if this standard applies to you, evaluating your site for exposure potential, determining areas needing warning signs or restricted access, and making a compliance checklist for you
  • Exposure Sampling – Sampling your facility or construction sites for exposure levels, arranging for lab analysis of samples, preparing documentation for recordkeeping, and preparing your written employee notices
  • Written Program Development – Preparing your exposure control plan or respiratory protection program
  • Training – Silica training and respiratory protection training
  • Respirator Fit-Testing – Annual respirator fit-testing (after your medical surveillance is complete)
  • Answering Questions – Our safety and industrial hygiene experts on-staff can help you with any other questions you may have.

Contact us today or watch our free webinar about the changes using the link below.

How can iSi help your company with OSHA silica compliance? Check us out!

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