NSI Releases Silica Exposure Control Plan
Organizations are acting on the implementation of OSHA’s new silica regulation.
The Natural Stone Institute has completed a written Silica Exposure Control Plan (ECP) specifically for stone cutters and fabricators. The ECP was developed in response to one of the requirements of OSHA’s Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard CFR 1910.1053 for General Industry and Maritime.
“We believe we have developed a practical compliance tool to benefit stone cutters and fabricators covered by OSHA’s new silica rule,” says Mark Meriaux, Natural Stone Institute accreditation and technical manager.
The central component of OSHA’s rule is reducing by half an employee’s crystalline silica exposure (called the “Permissible Exposure Limit, or PEL,” by OSHA). The new PEL is 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air (50 µg/m³), calculated as 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA). The effective date for OSHA’s new silica exposure standard is June 23, 2018, for general industry (fabricators).
New and Revised Silica Fact Sheets Available
OSHA has released more than a dozen fact sheets that provide guidance on the respirable crystalline silica standard for construction, all available at www.osha.gov. Fact sheets include an overview of the silica standard as well as information about how to fully and properly implement controls and work practices and, if needed, respiratory protection.
The written Silica Exposure Control Plan is presented free, courtesy of the Natural Stone Institute Safety Committee. The document is downloadable from www.naturalstoneinstitute.org/silica.
