Industry continues to adapt to OSHA silica dust rule
Finding simple ways to comply with the rule for the lowest cost of ownership is crucial.
Found in materials like concrete, tile, rock, stone and brick, exposure to silica dust can be a major cause of lung cancer, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and kidney disease in America’s skilled trades. To keep workers safe, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) brought protections into the forefront by starting to enforce its construction standard on respirable crystalline silica, 29 CFR § 1926.1153, in September 2017.
OSHA has spent the past year ensuring that the final rule is followed and employers who haven’t met the defined compliance methods have been met with sizeable fines.