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Silica Fact Sheet

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15 views2 pages

Silica Fact Sheet

Uploaded by

unnisharonkoruthodu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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SILICA  RISKS AND PREVENTION

The Problem for Construction Workers  Restrict the use of housekeeping practices that could
expose workers to silica, such as use of compressed
Silica, often referred to as quartz, is a common air without a ventilation system to capture dust and
mineral that is found in many materials used on dry sweeping.
construction sites, including sand, concrete, masonry, rock,
granite, and landscaping materials.1  Offer medical exams every three years to workers
who are required by the standard to wear a
The dust created by cutting, grinding, or drilling these respirator for 30 or more days per year, and ensure
materials can contain crystalline silica particles. These dust they receive a copy of the full medical report and a
particles are very small and can travel deep into the lungs. copy of the medical opinion provided to the
Breathing in even small amounts over time can cause employer.
silicosis, lung cancer, or COPD, and has been linked to
 Train workers on the health effects of silica exposure,
other diseases, including kidney disease. Silicosis is
incurable and can be deadly. It can form in the lungs in as workplace tasks that can expose them to silica, and
little as a few weeks of very high dust exposure.1 ways to limit exposure.
 Keep records of workers’ silica exposure and medical
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) exams.
estimates that approximately 2 million construction
workers in the U.S. are exposed to silica on their job sites.2 CPWR Research and Resources
In 2016, OSHA issued a new standard that requires  Work Safely with Silica  CPWR’s one-stop source for
construction employers to limit worker exposures to all things silica in construction. The site includes the
respirable crystalline silica. They estimate that the new Create-A-Plan Tool, an easy-to-use tool that takes
standard will prevent 600 deaths a year from silica-related contractors step-by-step through conducting a job
diseases and will prevent more than 900 new cases of hazard analysis, selecting controls, and creating a
silicosis each year.3 job-specific plan to eliminate or reduce silica hazards.

Silica Exposure is Preventable  Silica Hazard Alert Card  a brief, image-driven


handout to help workers understand how to work
The new standard lays out specific steps employers safely with silica. Available in English and Spanish.
covered by the standard must take to protect their
employees from exposure to silica above the permissible  Silica Toolbox Talk  a short discussion guide for use
exposure limit (PEL) of 50 micrograms per cubic meter over by foremen or supervisors to raise worker awareness
an 8-hour work day.2 and discuss site-specific actions to identify and
address silica dust hazards. Available in English and
The standard gives employers the choice of either using Spanish.
the control methods laid out in Table 1 of the construction
standard, or conducting an exposure assessment. This  Studies 
assessment can be done by conducting air monitoring,  Evaluation of the Efficacy and Effectiveness of
using objective data, or a combination of the two. Silica and Noise Controls on Concrete-Cutting
Tools
The standard also requires employers to2:
 Partnering to Prevent Exposure to Silica, Dust
 Establish and implement a written exposure control and Noise in Construction and Demolition
plan that identifies tasks which expose workers and  A Case-Control Study of Airways Obstruction
methods for protecting them. This includes restricting Among Construction Workers
access to work areas where high exposures may occur
* OSHA defines a "competent person" as someone "who is capable of
and designating a competent person* to implement
identifying existing and foreseeable respirable crystalline silica
the plan. hazards in the workplace and who has authorization to take prompt
corrective measures to eliminate or minimize them."4
Other Resources
 Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for Construction 
OSHA Fact Sheet, 2017

 Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Respirable


Crystalline Silica Standard for Construction  OSHA,
2017

 FAQs about the Silica Standard  OSHA

 Silica  National Institute for Occupational Safety and


Health’s [NIOSH] main website for silica.

 “Stop Silicosis”  U.S. Department of Labor video on


the dangers of silica dust and why we must stop
silicosis.

About CPWR
CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training
[CPWR] is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to reducing
injuries, illnesses, and fatalities in construction, and
currently serves as NIOSH’s National Construction Center.
Through research, training, and service programs, CPWR
works in partnership with industry stakeholders, safety and
health professionals, academics, and key government
agencies, to identify and find solutions for occupational
hazards and improve the safety and health of construction
workers. For more information, please visit:
www.CPWR.com

References
1
CPWR. Work Safely with Silica. https://www.silica-
safe.org/
2
Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA],
2017. OSHA’s Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for
Construction. https://www.osha.gov/Publications/
OSHA3681.pdf
3
OSHA. Frequently Asked Questions: Respirable Crystalline
Silica Rule. https://www.osha.gov/silica/Silica_FAQs_2016-
3-22.pdf
4
OSHA, 2017. Small Entity Compliance Guide for the
Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for Construction.
https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3902.pdf

©2018 CPWR–The Center for Construction Research and Training. All rights reserved. CPWR is the research and training arm of
NABTU. Production of this document was supported by cooperative agreement OH 009762 from the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily
represent the official views of NIOSH.

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