The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently issued a compliance directive designed to ensure uniformity in inspection and enforcement procedures when addressing respirable crystalline silica exposures in general industry, maritime, and construction. The new directive provides OSHA compliance safety and health officers with guidance on how to … Read more
The Natural Stone Institute has announced the debut of a new safety resource for stone fabricators and distributors. The Silica & Slab Safety Certificate is an 8-hour online certificate that provides training material for silicosis prevention, slab handing and creating a safety program. This program, comprised of 20 courses, is … Read more
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has established a revised National Emphasis Program (NEP) to identify and reduce or eliminate worker exposures to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) in general industry, maritime, and construction. The NEP targets specific industries expected to have the highest numbers of workers exposed … Read more
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is requesting information and comment on Table 1 of the agency’s Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for Construction. OSHA seeks information on additional engineering and work practice control methods to effectively limit exposure to silica for the equipment and tasks … Read more
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will be hosting a free silica safety webinar on Tuesday, May 14 at 11am PST. Designed for stone countertop fabrication employers, the webinar will describe the dangers of silica exposure, outline employer requirements to comply with OSHA’s Respirable Crystalline Silica Rule, … Read more
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will be hosting a free silica safety webinar on Tuesday, May 14 at 11am PST. Designed for stone countertop fabrication employers, the webinar will describe the dangers of silica exposure, outline employer requirements to comply with OSHA’s Respirable Crystalline Silica Rule, … Read more
At the beginning of 2019, OSHA published a new video titled “Protecting Workers from Silica Hazards in the Workplace.” While it is only 5 minutes long and focuses on general silica protection vs. specific protection for stone/quartz fabrication shops, it is a decent primer for beginning to get an understanding … Read more
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has published two new lists of frequently asked questions (FAQs) on controlling respirable crystalline silica: one for the construction industry and another for general industries. The new FAQs were developed through a concerted effort between OSHA, industry stakeholders and unions, … Read more
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has published two new lists of frequently asked questions (FAQs) on controlling respirable crystalline silica: one for the construction industry and another for general industries. The new FAQs were developed through a concerted effort between OSHA, industry stakeholders and unions, … Read more
OSHA has announced that the administration is seeking input on the revised silica rule for the construction industry that went into effect last year. Specifically, OSHA wants information on the effectiveness of silica control measures that are not included in Table 1: Specified Exposure Control Methods When Working With Materials … Read more
