OSHA Regulations on Silica Dust
Silica, also know as quartz, is a very common mineral that is found in many landscaping materials including sand, concrete, masonry, rock, and granite. When building hardscapes such as patios, walkways, and walls, there is often cutting, grinding, and drilling of these materials. This releases dust into the air that contains the tiny crystalline silica particles (100 times smaller than sand) that can cause health hazards when inhaled. Long term silica exposure can cause irreversible and life threatening diseases including lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), silicosis (an incurable lung disease) and kidney disease.
In 2017, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) began enforcing a new regulation of respirable levels of crystalline silica for workers. The purpose of the new standard is to reduce the amount of breathable silica dust workers are exposed to.
Employers are now required to
- limit worker exposure by using engineering controls, such as water or ventilation
- limit worker access to high exposure areas provide respirators when engineering controls can’t adequately
- limit exposure
- offer medical exams to highly exposed workers
- develop a written exposure control plan
- train workers on silica risks and how to limit exposures
- Pay a $12,000 fine per person per exposure if caught by OSHA
Responsible companies in the industry have known about the dangers of breathing silica dust for some time, and many of us have already been protecting our crews by using dust control equipment, and other precautions.
