Brooke Smith Safety Manager View Bio

According to OSHA, the OSHA Respirable Crystalline Silica standard for construction requires employers to limit worker exposures to respirable crystalline silica and to take other steps to protect workers.

The standard provides flexible alternatives, which OSHA expects will be especially useful for small employers. Employers can either use the control methods laid out in Table 1 of the construction standard, or they can measure workers’ exposure to silica and independently decide which dust controls work best to limit exposures to the PEL in their workplaces.

Regardless of which exposure control method is used, all construction employers covered by the standard are required to:

  • Establish and implement a written exposure control plan that identifies tasks that involve exposure and methods used to protect workers, including procedures to restrict access to work areas where high exposures may occur
  • Designate a competent person to implement the written exposure control plan
  • Restrict housekeeping practices that expose workers to silica where feasible alternatives are available
  • Offer medical exams-including chest X-rays and lung function tests-every three years for workers who are required by the standard to wear a respirator for 30 or more days per year
  • Train workers on work operations that result in silica exposure and ways to limit exposure
  • Keep records of exposure measurements, objective data, and medical exams

Construction employers must comply with all requirements of the standard by September 23, 2017, except requirements for laboratory evaluation of exposure samples, which begin on June 23, 2018. At Lawley, we construct custom protection solutions so you can focus on building your next project. Our associates’ main priority is to help companies mitigate risk and perform safer.

For more information on this and other OSHA requirements, talk with our risk management team here.

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