Improving Safety with the Silica Dust Rule
As of September of 2017, OSHA updated the rules pertaining to silica dust, and finally started enforcing the the implementation of the new regulations in June of this year. OSHA’s Silica Standard is the result Cutting, grinding or blasting materials like concrete, stone, and brick must meet a stricter standard for how much of that dust workers inhale dust which can lead to silicosis, and even lung cancer, kidney disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The previous standard was limited to 250 micrograms per cubic meter of air over an average of eight hours. The new standard reduces that to 50 micrograms the same amount of time, cutting it by 80%. Fines for violating this standard are $12,675 for a serious or other-than-serious violation; $12,675 per day past the abatement date for a failure-to-abate violation; and $126,749 for a repeated or willful violation. One man in Virginia had problems with that, which you can read about it here.
Ways to Comply with the Silica Standard
If you are struggling with following the new Silica Standard, OSHA is making it easier by giving you tools to help you implement it, including instructional videos and other free educational materials about the topic, including this video:
Other tools include an FAQ website and another video series on the subject.
Keep Your Employees (and Business) Safe
If you have any more questions, check it out here. Remember to keep your employees healthy and your business safe from fines by complying with this new Silica Standard.
