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Silica
Did you know?

  • At least 1.7 million U.S. workers are exposed to respirable crystalline silica in a variety of industries and occupations

  • There are over thirty major industries and operations where exposures to crystalline silica can occur.Silica is a compound composed of the elements silicon and oxygen (chemical formula SiO2)

  • Quartz is the most common form of crystalline silica and accounts for almost 12% by volume of the earth's crust

  • Cristobalite is a form of crystalline silica that is formed at high temperatures (>1470 °C) 

  • Respirable crystalline silica presents risks of lung cancer, silicosis, and non-malignant respiratory disease (NMRD) as well as autoimmune and renal disease risks to exposed workers

Occupational Exposure includes:

  • Cutting

  • Sawing

  • Drilling

  • Crushing of concrete, brick, block, rock, mortar and stone products

  • Sanding on drywall mud

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1926.1153 Respirable Crystalline Silica - Effective Dates:

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  • June 23, 2016- This standard shall become effective

  • June 23, 2017- All obligation of the standard shall become effective

  • September 23, 2017- OSHA enforcement of the standard 

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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.

Synopsis of the Silica Standard.pdf

Adobe Acrobat Document [614.7 KB]

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