Construction silica
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Published by SALUSRespirable crystalline silica exposure is a major construction hazard during cutting, drilling, grinding, chipping, abrasive blasting, and demolition of silica-containing materials such as concrete, brick, block, rock, mortar, tile, and stone. Health effects include silicosis, lung cancer, COPD, decreased lung function, increased tuberculosis risk, and kidney and immune system effects. Exposure can exceed limits even when dust is not visibly heavy, so hazard assessment must consider the material, task, tool, duration, enclosure, and existing controls rather than relying only on visible dust. [2] [2] [8]
Under the OSHA construction silica standard, 29 CFR 1926\.1153, employers must assess and control employee exposure to respirable crystalline silica in construction. A practical compliance approach is to identify all silica-generating tasks, determine whether the task is covered by a specified control method table or requires exposure assessment, and ensure exposures are kept below the 8-hour permissible exposure limit of 50 µg/m³, with an action level of 25 µg/m³. The Cal/OSHA construction rule mirrors these core limits and requires the standard to apply unless exposure will remain below 25 µg/m³ as an 8-hour TWA under foreseeable conditions. [11] [11] [2]
A sound silica dust hazard assessment should cover the following:
- Identify silica-containing materials involved in the work, including concrete, masonry, stone, mortar, grout, tile, sand, and rock.
- List each dust-generating task such as cutting, drilling, grinding, chipping, jackhammering, tuckpointing, abrasive blasting, and demolition cleanup.
- Evaluate where the work occurs: outdoors, indoors, enclosed areas, shafts, rooms, or other poorly ventilated spaces.
- Review tool type, blade or bit size, production rate, duration, number of workers nearby, and whether other trades may be exposed.
- Determine existing controls: integrated water delivery, shrouds, local exhaust ventilation, HEPA vacuum attachment, isolation, barriers, and housekeeping methods.
- Use objective data or personal breathing-zone air monitoring when required to characterize 8-hour TWA exposure and reassess whenever materials, processes, controls, personnel, or work practices change.
[2] [7] [12] For construction tasks covered by specified control methods, employers should follow the task-specific engineering controls, work practices, and respirator requirements. Examples in the construction silica rule include stationary masonry saws using an integrated water delivery system that continuously feeds water to the blade, and handheld power saws using integrated water delivery with different respirator requirements depending on whether the work is outdoors or indoors and on task duration. Tools must be operated and maintained according to manufacturer instructions to minimize dust emissions. [1] [1] [1]
Key engineering controls and work practices include:
- Use wet cutting, wet drilling, wet grinding, and wet coring whenever feasible. Water should be delivered continuously at the point of contact so dust is suppressed before it becomes airborne.
- Use local exhaust ventilation at the point of dust generation with properly designed shrouds, hoods, and HEPA-filtered collection systems.
- Use manufacturer-designed dust controls and maintain water flow, vacuum airflow, hoses, seals, and filters so the system performs as intended.
- Isolate dusty operations, use barriers or partitions, and schedule high-exposure work when fewer employees are present.
- For demolition, control dust during breaking, crushing, debris handling, and cleanup; dust generated after the primary task can still create significant exposure.
[4] [4] [10] Wet methods are one of the most effective silica controls. Effective wetting means applying a constant and appropriate volume of water directly where the tool contacts the material, using integrated water-feed tools, directed sprays, trickling water, sheet-wetting, water-jet cutting, or other methods that keep the contact surface wet. Recycled water should be filtered to remove silica. Wet methods are especially important for high-dust tasks because short periods of dry work can exceed the exposure limit quickly. [7] [7] [8]
Local exhaust ventilation should capture dust as close as possible to the source, before it enters the worker's breathing zone. Use tool-mounted shrouds or hoods connected to a dust collector or vacuum equipped with a HEPA filter, and ensure the airflow meets the tool manufacturer's requirements. Exhausted air should be filtered and the system should be inspected and maintained so clogged filters, damaged hoses, poor seals, or inadequate airflow do not defeat the control. [4] [10]
Respiratory protection is required when specified by the construction task table, when engineering and work practice controls are not fully implemented, while controls are being installed, for tasks where controls are not feasible, or when controls do not reduce exposure to or below the PEL. Respirators are a supplement to controls, not a substitute for them. When respirator use is required, the employer must implement a full respiratory protection program, including medical evaluation, fit testing for tight-fitting respirators, training, cleaning, maintenance, and proper filter selection. [3] [3] [10]
Air monitoring and exposure assessment should be managed as follows:
- Use personal breathing-zone sampling that reflects the exposures of employees on each shift, for each job classification, and in each work area.
- Sample the employees expected to have the highest exposure when using representative sampling.
- Repeat monitoring based on results: more often when exposures are above the PEL, and continue monitoring until data show exposures are controlled.
- Reassess whenever there is a change in process, materials, tools, controls, personnel, or work practices that could increase exposure.
- Notify affected employees of monitoring results and, if exposures exceed the PEL, describe the corrective actions being taken.
[7] [12] [12] A written exposure control plan is a core element of silica compliance. At minimum, it should identify the tasks that expose workers to respirable crystalline silica, the engineering controls, work practices, and respiratory protection used for each task, the housekeeping measures used to limit exposure, and the procedures used to restrict access when necessary to minimize the number of exposed employees. The employer should designate a competent person to inspect job sites, materials, and equipment and to implement the plan, and the plan should be reviewed at least annually and updated as needed. [5] [5] [5]
Safe work practices for cutting, drilling, grinding, and demolition should include:
- Do not dry cut, dry grind, or dry drill silica-containing materials unless a validated control system is in place and exposure has been assessed.
- Do not dry sweep or dry brush silica dust where it can contribute to exposure; use wet sweeping or HEPA-filtered vacuuming instead.
- Do not use compressed air to clean clothing or surfaces unless no alternative is feasible and the dust cloud is effectively captured by ventilation.
- Restrict access to dusty work areas, especially indoors or in enclosed spaces, and keep nonessential workers out.
- Clean dust and debris frequently so it is not re-entrained by foot traffic, vehicles, or wind.
- Do not eat, drink, or take breaks in dusty areas; wash hands and face before breaks and at the end of the shift.
- Prevent take-home exposure by cleaning clothing and PPE with HEPA vacuuming or wet methods rather than shaking out dusty garments.
[3] [3] [6] Where exposures exceed or can reasonably be expected to exceed the PEL, regulated areas should be established and access limited to authorized persons. This is especially important for indoor cutting, grinding, drilling, and demolition where dust can migrate beyond the immediate task area. Signs, barriers, and work sequencing should be used so nearby trades and bystanders are not exposed. [12] [12] [9]
For a construction employer, a practical silica exposure control plan should include task inventory, material identification, pre-job exposure assessment, Table 1 or equivalent control selection, wet method and vacuum equipment inspection, respirator selection by task and duration, regulated area setup, housekeeping procedures, employee training, air monitoring strategy, corrective action triggers, and competent-person oversight. If employees are required to wear respirators for 30 or more days per year under the construction silica rule, medical surveillance must be provided. [5] [4] [5]
In summary, the safest and most compliant approach for cutting, drilling, grinding, and demolition is to anticipate silica exposure before work starts, use Table 1 controls where applicable, keep dust out of the air with continuous wet methods and source capture ventilation, verify exposure with air monitoring when required, use respirators whenever controls alone are not enough or the standard requires them, prohibit dry cleanup methods that re-aerosolize dust, and enforce a written exposure control plan through a competent person. [1] [8] [10]
Sources used for this answer
[1] Cal/OSHA Regulations | Chapter 4 | Subchapter 7: General Industry Safety Orders | § 5204. Occupational Exposures to Respirable Crystalline Silica
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# § 5204. Occupational Exposures to Respirable Crystalline Silica. (cont.) knowledgeable in this standard and shall be competent in industrial hygiene practice. A Certified Industrial Hygienist as codified in California's Business and Professions Code sections [redacted postal code]-[redacted postal code] is considered competent in industrial hygiene practice. (12) "Regulated Area" means an area, demarcated by the employer, where an employee's exposure to airborne concentrations of respirable crystalline silica exceeds, or can reasonably be expected to exceed, the permissible exposure limit (PEL) as described in subsection (c). (13) "Respirable Crystalline Silica" means quartz, cristobalite, and/or tridymite contained in airborne particles that are determined to be respirable by a sampling device designed to meet the characteristics for respirable-particle-size-selective samplers specified in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 7708:1995: Air Quality -- Particle Size Fraction Definitions for Health-Related Sampling. (14) "Specialist” means an American Board Certified Specialist in Pulmonary Disease or an American Board Certified Specialist in Occupational Medicine. (15) "Suspected Silicosis" means any one of the following: (A) An employee with respirable crystalline silica exposure who has one or more of the following symptoms for 14 or more days unless the symptom is explained by another illness: cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, weakness, fever, or unexplained weight loss; or (B) An employee clinical findings suggestives of silicosis; or (C) An employee with respirable crystalline silica exposure with abnormal spirometry regardless of symptoms that is not yet a confirmed silicosis case. (16) "This Section" means this respirable crystalline silica standard, Section 5204. (17) "Wet Methods" means effectively suppressing dust by one of the methods listed below, such that exposures do not exc…
[2] Cal/OSHA Regulations | Chapter 4 | Subchapter 7: General Industry Safety Orders | § 5204. Occupational Exposures to Respirable Crystalline Silica
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Open source documentSource excerpt
# § 5204. Occupational Exposures to Respirable Crystalline Silica. (cont.) sampling, the employer shall sample the employee(s) who are expected to have the highest exposure to respirable crystalline silica. (B) If initial monitoring indicates that employee exposures are below the action level, the employer may discontinue monitoring for those employees whose exposures are represented by such monitoring. Monitoring shall not be discontinued for high-exposure trigger tasks. High-exposure trigger tasks shall be monitored at least every 12 months, or more frequently as required in this section. (C) Where the most recent exposure monitoring indicates that employee exposures are at or above the action level but at or below the PEL, the employer shall repeat such monitoring within six months of the most recent monitoring. (D) Where the most recent exposure monitoring indicates that employee exposures are above the PEL, the employer shall repeat such monitoring within three months of the most recent monitoring. (E) Where the most recent (non-initial) exposure monitoring indicates that employee exposures are below the action level, the employer shall repeat such monitoring within six months of the most recent monitoring until two consecutive measurements, taken 7 or more days apart, are below the action level, at which time the employer may discontinue monitoring for those employees whose exposures are represented by such monitoring, except as otherwise provided in subsection (d)(4). Monitoring shall not be discontinued for high-exposure trigger tasks. High-exposure trigger tasks shall be monitored by a qualified person at least every 12 months or more frequently as required in this section. (4) Reassessment of exposures. The employer shall reassess exposures whenever a change in the production, process, control equipment, personnel, or work practices may reasonably be expected to result in new or additional exposures at or above the action level, or when the empl…
[3] Construction Safety Orders (CAL/OSHA)
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Open source documentSource excerpt
## § 1532.3. Occupational Exposures to Respirable Crystalline Silica. (cont.) nonetheless use them to reduce employee exposure to the lowest feasible level and shall supplement them with the use of respiratory protection that complies with the requirements of subsection (e). (B) Abrasive blasting. In addition to the requirements of subsection (d)(3)(A), the employer shall comply with other Title 8 standards, when applicable, such as section 1530 (Ventilation), where abrasive blasting is conducted using crystalline silica-containing blasting agents, or where abrasive blasting is conducted on substrates that contain crystalline silica. (e) Respiratory protection. (1) General. Where respiratory protection is required by this section, the employer must provide each employee an appropriate respirator that complies with the requirements of this subsection and Section 5144. Respiratory protection is required: (A) Where specified by Table 1 of subsection (c); or (B) For tasks not listed in Table 1, or where the employer does not fully and properly implement the engineering controls, work practices, and respiratory protection described in Table 1: 1. Where exposures exceed the PEL during periods necessary to install or implement feasible engineering and work practice controls; 2. Where exposures exceed the PEL during tasks, such as certain maintenance and repair tasks, for which engineering and work practice controls are not feasible; and 3. During tasks for which an employer has implemented all feasible engineering and work practice controls and such controls are not sufficient to reduce exposures to or below the PEL. (2) Respiratory protection program. Where respirator use is required by this section, the employer shall institute a respiratory protection program in accordance with Section 5144. (3) Specified exposure control methods. For the tasks listed in Table 1 in subsection (c), if the employer fully and properly implements the engineering controls…
[4] Emergency Silica Standard: Information for Employers
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Open source documentSource excerpt
# Crystalline Silica Content of Materials (cont.) ## What Must Employers do to Protect Workers? (cont.) - Use engineering controls and safe work practices to maintain employee exposures below the PEL. • Engineering controls that an employer can use include: - о Substitution. Use a material that has a low silica content, such as marble or limestone, instead of artificial stone. - о Isolation. Use automated machines in enclosed areas separated from workers. ○ Barriers. Use physical barriers or partitions to separate cutting, grinding, or polishing areas from other parts of the workplace to prevent the spread of silica dust. - о Wet methods (required at all times for high-exposure trigger tasks). Ensure water covers the entire surface of the stone slab where a tool, piece of equipment, or machine contacts the stone. Water that is recycled must be filtered to remove silica. Use one or a combination of the following wet methods: ◆ Sheet-wetting, which forms a continuous flow of water over the surface of the work object. ◆ Tools with built-in water application systems, such as saws, grinders, chippers and polishers. - Water-jet cutters. ◆ Wet milling machines and wet stone routers. - Automated machines with built-in water application. - Ventilation. Use local exhaust ventilation to remove silica dust from the air at the point where the tool or equipment contacts the stone and before the dust enters the worker's breathing zone. Exhausted air must go through a HEPA filter to remove respirable crystalline silica. - Safe work practices include: ■ Training employees to perform tasks and use tools, water systems, and ventilation in a way that prevents dust exposures. ■ Scheduling work so that high-exposure tasks are performed when fewer or no other employees are in the regulated area. - Cleaning work areas frequently using wet methods or HEPA-filtered vacuums to prevent re-suspension of silica dust. ■ Ensuring that employee…
[5] Cal/OSHA Regulations | Chapter 4 | Subchapter 7: General Industry Safety Orders | § 5204. Occupational Exposures to Respirable Crystalline Silica
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Open source documentSource excerpt
# § 5204. Occupational Exposures to Respirable Crystalline Silica. (cont.) (A) Persons authorized by the employer and required by work duties to be present in the regulated area; (B) Any person entering such an area as a designated representative of employees for the purpose of exercising the right to observe monitoring procedures under subsection (d); and (C) Any person authorized by the Occupational Safety and Health Act or regulations issued under it to be in a regulated area. (4) Provision of respirators. The employer shall provide each employee and the employee's designated representative entering regulated area with an appropriate respirator in accordance with subsection (h) and shall require each employee and the employee's designated representative to use the respirator while in a regulated area. a - Exception to subsection (e)(4): In regulated areas established for high-exposure trigger tasks, respirators are not required for exposures of less than five minutes in an eight-hour period, where the employer demonstrates exposures within the regulated areas are less than the action level, through air monitoring conducted at least every six months by a qualified person, in accordance with subsection (d)(3). The employer shall provide, and encourage the use of, filtering facepiece respirators to such persons for voluntary use, in accordance with section 5144. (f) Methods of compliance. (1) Engineering and work practice controls. The employer shall use engineering and work practice controls to reduce and maintain employee exposure to respirable crystalline silica to or below the PEL, unless the employer can demonstrate that such controls are not feasible. Wherever such feasible engineering and work practice controls are not sufficient to reduce employee exposure to or below the PEL, the employer shall nonetheless use them to reduce employee exposure to the lowest feasible level and shall supplement them with the use of respiratory protection that comp…
[6] Construction Safety Orders (CAL/OSHA)
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Open source documentSource excerpt
This information is provided free of charge by the Department of Industrial Relations from its web site at www.dir.ca.gov. These regulations are for the convenience of the user and no representation or warranty is made that the information is current or accurate. See full disclaimer at https://www.dir.ca.gov/od_pub/disclaimer.html. Subchapter 4. Construction Safety Orders Article 4. Dusts, Fumes, Mists, Vapors, and Gases Return to index New query ## § 1532.3. Occupational Exposures to Respirable Crystalline Silica. (a) Scope and application. This section applies to all occupational exposures to respirable crystalline silica in construction work, except where employee exposure will remain below 25 micrograms per cubic meter of air (25 µg/m³) as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) under any foreseeable conditions. (b) Definitions. For the purposes of this section the following definitions apply: - Action Level means a concentration of airborne respirable crystalline silica of 25 µg/m 3 calculated as an 8-hour TWA. - Chief means the Chief of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or designee. - Director means the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or designee. - Competent Person means an individual who is capable of identifying existing and foreseeable respirable crystalline silica hazards in the workplace and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate or minimize them. The competent person must have the knowledge and ability necessary to fulfill the responsibilities set forth in subsection (g). - Employee Exposure means the exposure to airborne respirable crystalline silica that would occur if the employee were not using a respirator. - High-efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filter means a filter that is at least 99.97 percent efficient in removing mono-dispersed particles of 0.3 micrometers in diameter. - Objective Data means inf…
[7] Hazard Alert - Granite Countertops
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Open source documentSource excerpt
# HAZARD ALERT State of California CAL OSHA Department of Industrial Relation ## To: Employees and employers in the granite counter top fabrication industry Fabricating granite counter tops and other silica-containing materials may expose workers to levels of respirable crystalline silica above state limits, as was found recently by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health. Workers who inhale excessive amounts of crystalline silica can develop silicosis, a serious and potentially fatal lung disease. Silicosis is a progressive and irreversible condition of the lung that can lead to serious disability or death. Additionally, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) considers inhaled crystalline silica to be a known human carcinogen. Crystalline silica is a natural component of the earth's crust and is a basic component of sand, quartz, and granite rock. Workers with impaired lung function due to silica exposure are more susceptible to other respiratory diseases such as tuberculosis. The health hazards of silica are not new. Silicosis is one of the world's oldest known occupational diseases, with reports dating back to ancient Greece. Although very high short-term exposures to silica (as experienced by many workers in past times) can pose a serious health hazard, long-term exposures to silica levels exceeding the state limits also pose serious health hazards. Activities such as grinding, cutting, routing, drilling, chipping, or polishing on granite and other stone materials containing crystalline silica can create airborne dust and the potential for a health hazard to workers. The granite itself or the finished counter top does not present a health hazard. Silica exposures above the permissible exposure limit were found during recent inspections by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health at granite counter top fabrication facilities. High silica exposures have also been found in other businesses performing simila…
[8] Construction Safety Orders (CAL/OSHA)
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Open source documentSource excerpt
## § 1532.3. Occupational Exposures to Respirable Crystalline Silica. (cont.) (A) A description of the tasks in the workplace that involve exposure to respirable crystalline silica; (B) A description of the engineering controls, work practices, and respiratory protection used to limit employee exposure to respirable crystalline silica for each task; (C) A description of the housekeeping measures used to limit employee exposure to respirable crystalline silica; and (D) A description of the procedures used to restrict access to work areas, when necessary, to minimize the number of employees exposed to respirable crystalline silica and their level of exposure, including exposures generated by other employers or sole proprietors. (2) The employer shall review and evaluate the effectiveness of the written exposure control plan at least annually and update it as necessary. (3) The employer shall make the written exposure control plan readily available for examination and copying, upon request, to each employee covered by this section, their designated representatives, the Chief and the Director. (4) The employer shall designate a competent person to make frequent and regular inspections of job sites, materials, and equipment to implement the written exposure control plan. (h) Medical surveillance. (1) General. (A) The employer shall make medical surveillance available at no cost to the employee, and at a reasonable time and place, for each employee who will be required under this section to use a respirator for 30 or more days per year. (B) The employer shall ensure that all medical examinations and procedures required by this section are performed by a PLHCP as defined in subsection (b). (2) Initial examination. The employer shall make available an initial (baseline) medical examination within 30 days after initial assignment, unless the employee has received a medical examination that meets the requirements of this section within the last three …
[9] Emergency Silica Standard: Information for Workers
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Open source documentSource excerpt
# Crystalline Silica Content of Materials (cont.) ## What Must Your Employer do to Protect Workers? (cont.) - Use engineering controls and safe work practices to maintain employee exposures below the PEL. • Engineering controls that an employer can use include: - о Substitution. Use a material that has a low silica content, such as marble or limestone, instead of artificial stone. - о Isolation. Use automated machines in enclosed areas separated from workers. ○ Barriers. Use physical barriers or partitions to separate cutting, grinding, or polishing areas from other parts of the workplace to prevent the spread of silica dust. - о Wet methods (required at all times for high-exposure trigger tasks). Ensure water covers the entire surface of the stone slab where a tool, piece of equipment, or machine contacts the stone. Water that is recycled must be filtered to remove silica. Use one or a combination of the following wet methods: ◆ Sheet-wetting, which forms a continuous flow of water over the surface of the work object. ◆ Tools with built-in water application systems, such as saws, grinders, chippers and polishers. - Water-jet cutters. ◆ Wet milling machines and wet stone routers. - Automated machines with built-in water application. - о Ventilation. Use local exhaust ventilation to remove silica dust from the air at the point where the tool or equipment contacts the stone and before the dust enters the worker's breathing zone. Exhausted air must go through a HEPA filter to remove respirable crystalline silica. - Safe work practices include: ■ Training employees to perform tasks and use tools, water systems, and ventilation in a way that prevents dust exposures. ■ Scheduling work so that high-exposure tasks are performed when fewer or no other employees are in the regulated area. - Cleaning work areas frequently using wet methods or HEPA-filtered vacuums to prevent re-suspension of silica dust. ■ Ensuring that emp…
[10] Cal/OSHA Pocket Guide for the Construction Industry 2022
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Open source documentSource excerpt
# Illustration 10 | Hitches for Holding Needle Beams (cont.) (8) Horse scaffolds. 1647 - The specifications for horse scaffolds are as follows: - Platform width: i. Light trades = 20 inches (min.); 10 inches if the platform is less than 4 ft.high. ii. Heavy trades = 4 ft. (min.). 1647(e)(2) iii. Width of base legs = 1/2 x height (min.). 1647(a)(3) . Height: i. Collapsible horse = 6 ft. (max.). 1647(d)(2) ii. Single horse = 10 ft. (max.). 1647(e)(1) iii. Two tiers (max.) = 10 ft. (max.). 1647(e)(1) (9) Ladder jack scaffolds. 1648 - The specifications for ladder jack scaffold platforms are as follows: • Span 16 ft. (max.) 1648(b) . Height 16 ft. (max.) 1648(a) • Width 14 in. (min.) 1648(b) - Load = two workers (max.) 1648(a) - Notes: >>Ladders must be Type I, IA, or IAA duty rated ladders in accordance with 3276(c). Job-built ladders shall not be used for this purpose. 1648(d) >> A safety line is required for each worker. 1648(c) (10) Window jack scaffolds. 1654 - The specifications for window jack scaffolds are as follows: • Only one window per scaffold is permitted. 1654(d) - The load limit is one person per scaffold. 1654(d) . Fall protection or railings are required. 1654(c) # Silica Dust Construction work that involves exposure to crystalline silica- containing materials can cause lung diseases. These silica- containing materials include (but are not limited to): - Sand - Rock • Ceramic and terracotta tiles - Concrete and concrete block - Manufactured stone - Roof tiles - Bricks and blocks • - Grouts and mortar • Some joint compounds • Abrasive materials Exposure to crystalline silica can cause a variety of lung diseases, including silicosis, lung cancer, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), decreased lung function, increased likelihood of getting tuberculosis, and immune system and kidney effects. Although most cases of silicosis develop after years of exposure, instances of extremely hig…
[11] Construction Safety Orders (CAL/OSHA)
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Open source documentSource excerpt
## § 1532.3. Occupational Exposures to Respirable Crystalline Silica. (cont.) Respirable Crystalline Silica means quartz, cristobalite, and/or tridymite contained in airborne particles that are determined to be respirable by a sampling device designed to meet the characteristics for respirable-particle-size- selective samplers specified in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 7708:1995: Air Quality - Particle Size Fraction Definitions for Health-Related Sampling. Specialist means an American Board Certified Specialist in Pulmonary Disease or an American Board Certified Specialist in Occupational Medicine. This Section means this respirable crystalline silica standard, Section 1532.3. (c) Specified exposure control methods. (1) For each employee engaged in a task identified on Table 1, the employer shall fully and properly implement the engineering controls, work practices, and respiratory protection specified for the task on Table 1, unless the employer assesses and limits the exposure of the employee to respirable crystalline silica in accordance with subsection (d). Table 1 - Specified Exposure Control Methods When Working With Materials Containing Crystalline Silica <table><tr><th></th><th></th><th colspan="2">Required respiratory</th></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td colspan="2">protection and mimimum</td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td colspan="2">assigned protection factor</td></tr><tr><td>Equipment/task</td><td>Engineering and work practice control methods</td><td>(APF)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td>≤ 4 hours/shift</td><td>> 4 hours/shift</td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>(i) Stationary masonry saws</td><td>Use saw equipped with integrated water delivery system that</td><td>None</td><td>None.</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>continuously feeds water to the blade</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Operate and maintain tool in accordance with manufacturer's</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td><…
[12] Cal/OSHA Hazard Alert - Engineered Stone Countertop Fabrication
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Open source documentSource excerpt
# Engineered Stone Countertop Fabrication (cont.) ## How to prevent overexposures to workers? The best way is keep the dust out of the air by using: • Water when cutting, grinding, and shaping, whenever possible. • Local exhaust ventilation at the source generating the airborne dust. The types of controls used for cutting or grinding natural stone countertops can usually be effectively used for engineered stone. No matter which controls are used, it is very important that they be properly: • Designed, as most homemade or aftermarket controls do not work as well as those designed by the manufacturer of the machine. - Maintained. - Used according to the manufacturer instructions, including using the required amounts of exhaust ventilation or water. ## Respirators should only be used: - As a last resort for protection when local exhaust ventilation or water controls are not feasible or do not adequately control employee airborne exposures. - Where exposures exceed the permissible exposure limit (50 µg/m3, 8-hour TWA) while installing or implementing feasible engineering and work practice controls. • When the employee is in a regulated area. Housekeeping methods such as dry sweeping and using compressed air can result in high dust exposures and must be avoided, where feasible. Use water or a properly filtered vacuum. ## What are the Cal/OSHA regulatory requirements? Respirable Crystalline Silica Standards - Important Update outlines the relevant Title 8, California Code of Regulations requirements: • 5204: Countertop manufacturing • 1532.3: Construction • 5155: Permissible Exposure Levels Besides silica, a number of other hazards may be present in an engineered stone countertop fabrication workplace, including: • Other hazardous materials, such as granite, resins, solvents, and coatings. • Machine and electrical hazards. • Noise. • Back and other musculoskeletal injuries from lifting heavy countertops. • Crushing hazards from working arou…
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