OSHA Targets Silica Exposure Risk to 2,000,000 Workers

Yesterday’s Advisor described a new OSHA National Emphasis Program (NEP) on chemical plant safety. A NEP is an intense, all-out inspection and enforcement blitz, targeting a specific industry or illness pattern.  

Recent NEPs have gone after lead exposure, amputation injury, even exposure to diacetyl, a chemical used to make butter-flavored microwave popcorn. Inhaled in excessive amounts, it’s linked to the development of chronic lung disease.

This year, the SWAT-team like NEP approach will hone in on another lung-damaging issue … exposure to crystalline silica, a prime contributor to silicosis. Caused by breathing free-floating silica particles over the course of years, silicosis causes irreversible scarring of the lungs.

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The particles are a by-product of grinding, drilling, or other work with sand or rock-based materials, in industries such as mining, quarrying, sandblasting, foundry and ceramics work. How widespread is the danger?

“Exposure to silica threatens nearly 2 million American workers annually,” explained Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke Jr., in announcing the initiative. “Under this program, OSHA will work diligently to maximize the protection of employees and eliminate workplace exposures to silica-related hazards.”

This is OSHA’s second run at silica. The first was in 1996, and the agency says it will build on that effort by updating more industries, offering updated research information on the hazard, and fine-tuning its guidance on permissible exposure limits (PELs) for the material. It will also add a procedure for documenting reductions in exposure and seek partnerships with employers to proactively deal with the hazard as an alternative to going the enforcement route.

If there’s one bright spot in the occupational silicosis issue, it’s that the disease is generally preventable, with the proper precautions. Here’s a partial list:

  — Enclose grinding or sandblasting machines in a glovebox
  –Exhaust ventilation and dust collection systems on all containment structures
  –Water sprays to remove dust, rather than compressed air
  –Wet sawing or drilling on silica-containing materials
  –HEPA vacuums and wet sweeping in areas where the dust is found
  –Administrative controls such as limiting exposure time
  –PPE, including a powered, air-purifying respirator with a tight-fitting faceplate or a supplied-air respirator approved for silica exposure, with a faceplate or hood

Experts also suggest medical monitoring, before starting on the job, and then every 2 to 5 years or at the first signs of respiratory problems, as part of your overall program.

This information was drawn from BLR’s OSHA Compliance Encyclopedia.

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