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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Region 3 office announced it would extend enforcement of a national emphasis program (NEP) in three states and the District of Columbia to reduce or eliminate workers’ respirable silica exposures. Emphasis program inspections begin after May 3 in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia.
On February 4, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revised its National Emphasis Program (NEP) for enforcement of the construction, general, and maritime industry standards for respirable crystalline silica exposure. OSHA canceled the 2008 Crystalline Silica NEP in October 2017. The replacement NEP addresses enforcement of OSHA’s amended standards for respirable crystalline silica—promulgated March […]
OSHA is requesting information about possible revisions to three of its standards for respirable crystalline silica exposure. The agency’s request for information (RFI) appeared in the August 15 Federal Register (FR) (84 FR 41667).
OSHA plans to put out a request for information about its crystalline silica standard for the construction industry.
OSHA recently provided guidance about several frequently asked questions about the respirable crystalline silica rule in construction, along with a new set of videos on controlling silica dust generated by several types of equipment.
On July 23, 2018, OSHA’s 1-month delay of enforcement of alleged violations of the agency’s Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for General Industry/Maritime (29 CFR 1910.1053) came to an end. During that period, OSHA inspectors were instructed to provide compliance assistance in lieu of enforcement to employers whom inspectors believed were making a good-faith effort to […]
Occasionally, when OSHA issues new or revised standards, there are two dates of importance for employers subject to those standards. The first is the date OSHA will make compliance mandatory. The second is the date OSHA states it will begin enforcing noncompliance. In some cases, the two dates may be the same. But with standards […]
On March 25, 2016, federal OSHA finalized its new crystalline silica rule. Despite a court challenge, and over the objections of Cal/OSHA’s construction industry, the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (OSHSB) has adopted federal OSHA’s silica rules.
Did you know that OSHA’s new Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) standard adds to your Hazard Communication training requirements? It requires your training to be a bit lengthier than usual by specifying topics to be covered in training for employees who are exposed to RCS.