OSHA Silica Dust Standard

OSHA Silica Dust Standard

The video explains how OSHA’s construction silica rule applies to work that can generate respirable crystalline silica. Silica is commonly found in concrete, brick, stone, manufactured stone, and other masonry materials. The rule may affect trades ranging from road work and decorative concrete to countertop installation.

The narrator says OSHA reduced the permissible exposure limit (PEL) to 50 micrograms per cubic meter as an 8-hour time-weighted average—about one-fifth of the previous construction limit. The video focuses on the construction standard and describes two ways employers can address exposure.

Compliance options

1. Develop and test your own dust controls

• Use dust-control measures of your choice.
• Measure workers’ exposure using monitoring equipment and laboratory testing.
• If exposure is at or above the action level of 25 micrograms per cubic meter as an 8-hour time-weighted average, improve the controls.
• Continue testing and revising the approach until exposure is adequately controlled.

The narrator notes that monitoring can be time-consuming and costly.

2. Follow OSHA’s Table 1

Table 1 lists prescribed dust-control methods for common construction tasks. According to the video, employers who correctly follow the applicable Table 1 requirements do not have to measure workers’ exposure for those tasks.

Requirements vary by operation. Examples discussed include:

• Saws and drills: Use tools with integrated water delivery that continuously supplies water to the blade or bit. Operate and maintain the tools according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Fiber-cement board cutting, tuck-pointing, dowel drilling, and certain handheld or stand-mounted drills: Use a commercially available dust shroud and dust collector.
• Jackhammers, chipping tools, handheld grinders, walk-behind milling machines, and floor grinders: Water delivery or dust collection may be used, depending on the task’s Table 1 requirements.

Dust-collector requirements

Where Table 1 calls for a dust collector, the video says it must:

• Provide at least the airflow recommended by the tool manufacturer.
• Use a filter with at least 99% efficiency.
• Have a filter-cleaning mechanism.

The narrator explains that OSHA considered HEPA filtration but did not require it for these dust collectors. The video says the key compliance threshold is 99% filtration, while noting that the company’s own units use HEPA filters.

Filter cleaning and airflow

Fine dust can clog filters and reduce airflow, potentially quickly. Filters must be cleaned or changed as often as necessary to remain effective. A reverse-pulse or back-pulse mechanism may need to be activated during a shift, and a pressure gauge or another monitoring method can help indicate when cleaning is needed. Automatic filter cleaning can reduce the need for workers to stop and clean filters manually.

The narrator presents the company’s automatic pulse-clean technology as a way to address clogging. This is a product-related claim made by the company in the video.

Dates given in the video

The video states that the rule was scheduled to take effect on June 23, 2016, with construction businesses required to comply by June 23, 2017.

Speakers and sources featured

• Speaker: An unnamed narrator speaking on behalf of Pulse-Bac Vacuum Systems.
• Sources cited by the narrator: OSHA’s construction standard and Table 1, an OSHA fact sheet, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).