OSHA’s New National Emphasis Program: Crystalline Silica

2. OSHA’s New National Emphasis Program:Crystalline Silica

3. Why Does OSHA Have a New National Emphasis Program? • Silica-related illnesses and fatalities continue to occur • The NEP is a written compliance directive incorporating updated information and policies and procedures adopted since 1996

4. Why a New NEP? (cont’d) • Expands 1996 SEP memorandum • Provides updated research results on silica exposure hazards • Details inspection procedures, including follow-up inspections where overexposure found • Addresses targeting of worksites and provides updated NAICS codes for industries with worker exposure to crystalline silica • Explains calculation of PELS in General Industry, Construction, and Maritime • Establishes program evaluation procedures • Provides for Regional and Area Office outreach programs

5. What Is Crystalline Silica? • SiO2 –silicon dioxide • Also known as “free silica” • Significantly more hazardous than amorphous silica • 3 mineralogical forms • Quartz—most common • Cristobalite • Tridymite

6. What Are the Health Effects of Crystalline Silica? • Silicosis (pulmonary fibrosis) • Chronic, accelerated, acute • A continuing problem • Lung cancer • Tuberculosis • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder • Other • Immunologic disorders and autoimmune diseases • Renal disease • Stomach and other cancers

7. What Are the Symptoms and Signs of Chronic Silicosis? NOTE: There may be no symptoms in the early stages. • As the diseaseprogresses • Cough • Breathlessness • Weakness • Significant X-ray changes after 15-20 years of exposure

8. Symptoms of Related Illnesses (such as Tuberculosis) • Fever • Weight loss • Night sweats • Chest pains • Respiratory failure These symptoms can become worse over time, leading to death.

9. Where Are There Workplace Exposures to Crystalline Silica? • Solid dust particles generated from silica-containing materials by • Handling • Grinding • Blasting • Drilling • Crushing • High historical exposures • Sandblasting • Mining (regulated by MSHA) • Tunneling • Granite cutting • Sand-casting foundry operations

10. Crystalline Silica Exposures

11. How Will Employees Know They May Exposed? • Identify factors that indicate probable use of silica • Check product labels • Check the Material Safety Data Sheets

12. Probable Use of Silica If you can answer YES to any of these, then it is likely that Silica is used at your work and that it is airborne. Identify factors that indicate probable use of crystalline silica Check to see whether you (a) Work in an industry in the left column; (b) Are in an occupation in the middle column; or (c) Work with materials listed in the right column IndustryDo you work in any of these? OccupationsAre you one of these? MaterialsAre any of these involved? • Abrasive blasting • Asphalt pavement manufacturing • Blast furnaces • Cement manufacturing • Ceramics, clay, and pottery • Concrete mixing • Concrete tunneling • Construction (mainly cement, concrete work) • Demolition • Electronics industry • Foundry industry: grinding, molding, shakeout, core room (High Risk) • Hand molding, casting, and forming • Jack hammer operations • Manufacturing abrasives, paints, soaps, and glass • Mining • Repair or replacement of linings of rotary kilns and cupola furnaces • Rolling and finishing mills • Sandblasting (High Risk) • Setting, laying, and repairing railroad track • Steelwork • Stone, brick, and concrete block cutting, blasting, chipping, grinding, and sawing • Tunneling operations • Brickmason/stonemason • Construction laborer • Crane and tower operator • Crushing and grinding machine operator • Furnace, kiln, non-food oven operator • Grinding, abrading, buffing, and polishing machine operator • Hand molder/shaper (not jeweler) • Heavy-equipment mechanic • Janitor or cleaner • Machinist • Metals/plastics machine operator • Molding and casting machine operator • Mining machine operator • Miscellaneous material moving equipment operator • Millwright • Operating engineer • Painter who sandblasts (High Risk) • Production supervisor • Rock driller (High Risk) • Roof bolter (High Risk) • Sandblaster (High Risk) • Steelworker • Welder/cutter • See how the chance of death is increased according to occupation • Abrasives • Coal Dust • Concrete • Dirt • Filter Aids • Graphite, natural • Mica • Mineral Products • Paints • Pavement • Perlite • Plant Materials • Plastic Fillers • Polishing Compounds • Portland Cement • Sands • Silicates • Slag • Soapstone • Soil Source: OSHA’s Silica eTool

13. And One You May Not Usually Think of—Dental Laboratories! Source: What Dental Technicians Need to Know About Silicosis. NJDHSS.

14. Labels • A product that contains ≥ 0.1% crystalline silica (by weight or volume) must say so • The machines used in the operations may also have warning signs indicating that silica is being used • Manufacturer’s responsibility: attach a label to all products that contain ≥ 0.1% crystalline silica • Employer’s responsibility: ensure that the label is not removed or defaced

15. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) • Contain data for materials or products containing hazardous chemicals • If a material or product contains ≥ 0.1% crystalline silica, there must be a MSDS • Manufacturers and importers: obtain or develop a MSDS for each hazardous chemical they produce or import • Employers: ensure access to MSDSs for all hazardous chemicals at the workplace

16. The National Emphasis Program • Applies to General Industry and Construction worksites • Goals • Eliminate employee overexposure • Control health hazards associated with overexposure • Features • OSHA procedures for inspections • 2 percent of inspections • Mandatory follow-up inspections if possible where overexposures occurred

17. What Will OSHA Check for on an Inspection? • Employee exposure monitoring, including collection of bulk samples • Engineering and work practice controls • Respiratory protection • Hazard communication

18. What is the OSHA PEL for General Industry? • Quartz (respirable dust): 10 mg/m3 % respirable quartz + 2 • Cristobalite and Tridymite: use ½ of the value calculated from the formula for quartz

19. What is the OSHA PEL for Construction? • Quartz (respirable dust): 250 mppcf % silica + 5 • OSHA-adopted conversion factor: 1 mppcf = 0.1 mg/m3 respirable dust

20. Crystalline Silica PELs: “Bottom Line” Message • Whether you work in General Industry or in Construction: The more crystalline silica there is in the dust, the less of the dust you should breath

21. What Will OSHA Check for on an Inspection? (cont’d) • Symptoms of silicosis in workplace • Housekeeping and hygiene • Employee exposure and medical records • Abrasive blasting

22. Scope of Inspection Inspection may be expanded beyond silica-related activities if other hazards or violations are observed.

23. Follow-up and Evaluation • Mandatory follow-up inspections where citations for overexposure are issued • If follow-up not possible (operation concluded), written documentation of abatement efforts from employers

24. Follow-up and Evaluation (cont’d) • Where exposures cannot be reduced below the PEL • engineering and administrative controls must be used to reduce exposures as low as possible • respiratory protection must be used to supplement other controls • Abatement verification data used by Office of Statistics

25. What Are Some Possible Ways to Reduce Exposure? • Substitute materials that have no crystalline silica • Locate employees as far as possible from dust-generation source • Isolate employees OR the source • Control rooms • Enclosures • Barriers

26. Moving Employees Farther from Point of Exposure Source: NIOSH Publication No. 1999-113: Control of Drywall Sanding Dust Exposures

27. What Are Some Possible Ways to Reduce Exposure? (cont’d) • Use local exhaust ventilation (LEV systems) • Use tools with dust-collecting systems

28. Example of a Combination of Controls Source: What Dental Technicians Need to Know About Silicosis. NJDHSS.

29. What Are Some Possible Ways to Reduce Exposure? (cont’d) • Use wet methods • Cutting • Chipping • Drilling • Sawing • Grinding • Clean surfaces with HEPA vacuums or wet sweeping—no compressed air!

30. Controls—Wet Methods Source: Dry Cutting and Grinding is RISKY BUSINESS. NJDHSS.

31. What Are Some Possible Ways to Reduce Exposure? (cont’d) • And if other methods are not sufficient— Use Proper Respiratory Protection

32. Respiratory Protection Source: NIOSH Publication No. 2004-108: Silicosis: Learn the Facts!

33. Example of a Combination of Controls Source: NIOSH Publication No. 2002-105: Silicosis in Sandblasters: A Case Study for Use in U.S. High Schools

34. What Can Workers Do to Protect Themselves and Their Families? • Become informed • Reduce their exposure to dust • Use respirators when needed • Participate in medical screening • Practice good personal hygiene at the workplace It is the employer’s responsibility to provide a safe workplace It is your responsibility to use any controls provided Source: CPWR.

35. What Information Does OSHA Have on the Internet? • NEP for crystalline silica: • Go to www.osha.gov • Select Directives • Select 2008 • Look under January (1/24/08) • Other information on crystalline silica: • Go to www.osha.gov • Select “S” from the alphabetical topic index • Select “Silica, Crystalline”

36. Other Internet Information • National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) website: • www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/silica

37. Questions?

38. Audience Suggestions? • Control methods for crystalline silica on your job or in your workplace? • Suggestions for “getting the word out”? • Other groups that might be interested in reducing exposure to crystalline silica?