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Technical Data
Bulletin
#210 ― Task-Based PPE Suggestions for Silica
Published: January 2013
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires feasible engineering and
administrative controls be used to reduce silica exposure levels to below the Permissible Exposure
Limit (PEL). These controls include but are not limited to:
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Wet methods (i.e. application of water to the work area)
HEPA filtered vacuum exhausted tools
Relocating silica producing tasks away from main work areas to avoid exposure to surrounding workers
Housekeeping to minimize re-entrainment of settled dust.
When controls are infeasible or cannot adequately reduce the exposure, respirators must be used to
protect the worker. The chart below gives suggested 3M respirators and other personal protective
equipment (PPE) that can be used for various silica producing tasks. The general respirator type
suggestions (half facepiece, full facepiece, powered air, supplied air) are based on data from the
University of Washington’s Field Research and Consultation Group, the Georgia Tech Safety and
Health Consultation Program and the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Branch Guideline on
Silica Projects. Readers should visit these websites to review and understand the data and criteria
used for the general respirator selection.
These suggestions should be used as a starting point during pre-project planning and are a minimum
level of protection. After project commencement, worker exposure assessments should be conducted
by a safety/industrial hygiene professional or silica qualified person to confirm appropriate respirator
selection. Assessments should be repeated as needed as conditions, tasks and tools change as the
project progresses. The suggestions assume almost continuous work at that task during the day and
no engineering controls in use. Shorter duration exposures and application of engineering controls
may allow a lower level of respiratory protection to be used.
NOTE: These suggestions are based on the current OSHA PEL of 0.1 milligrams respirable silica per
cubic meter of air (mg/m3). The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
recommends an exposure limit of 0.05 mg/m3. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial
Hygienists (ACGIH®) recommends a 0.025 mg/m3 limit. The reader should take these lower
exposure limit recommendations into consideration when using Table 1 and making respirator
selection decisions.
A respirator program meeting the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.134 must be implemented when
respirator use is required. Employers and workers must read, understand and follow the procedures
3M Personal Safety Division
3M Center, Building 235-2E-91
St. Paul, MN 55144-1000
and recommendations in the respirator manufacturer’s user instructions. Full facepiece respirators
must be fit-tested using quantitative methods for an assigned protection factor of 50.
Readers should also consult OSHA Directive CPL 03-00-007 National Emphasis Program –
Crystalline Silica, for detailed information on silica hazards, guidelines for air sampling, guidance on
calculating PELs for dust containing silica, and other compliance information.
In addition to the PPE listed below, contractors should also consider protective coveralls such as the
3M 4520 to prevent workers from taking silica home on their clothing.
Table 1: Construction Tasks
Task
Open Location
Additional PPE
Enclosed Location
Additional PPE
Abrasive Blasting
I
E
I
E
Back hoe Operator
A, C
E, F, H
A, C
E, F, H
Broom Sweeping
A, C
E, F, H
A, C
E, F, H
Bulldozer Operator
A, C
E, F, H
A, C
E, F, H
Concrete/Grout
Mixing
Chipping Gun
A, C
E, F, G
A, C
E, F, H
B, C (D)
E, H
B, C (D)
E, H
Drilling concrete
A, C
E, F, H
B, C (D)
E, H
Drywall hand sanding
A, C
G, H
A, C
G, H
Jack hammer
B, C (D)
E, H
B, C (D)
E, H
Road Milling-concrete
B, C (D)
E, H
B, C (D)
E, H
Saw – Hand held
A, C
E, F, H
B, C (D)
E, H
Saw – Mason table
A, C
E, F, H
B, C (D)
E, H
Saw – Walk behind
A, C
E, F, H
B, C (D)
E, H
B, C (D)
E, H
J
E, F
Tuckpointing
PPE Codes:
A – 6000 Series half facepiece respirator
B – 6000 Series full facepiece respirator
C- 2071 P95 particulate filter
D – 2091 P100 particulate filter – NIOSH recommends a 100 filter when exposures exceed 10x the PEL.
E – Push-in style ear plugs
F – Virtua CCS – foam gasket safety glasses
G – Lexa Dust GoggleGear
H – H-700 vented hard hat
I – W-8100B abrasive blast helmet with GVP-122 breathing tube, V-300 air regulator, W-9435 air hose
J – TR-300 Powered air respirator with BT-40 breathing tubeM-405 helmet
Hydraulic fracturing
Based on limited data, employers should consider using quantitatively fit-tested full face piece
respirators for dusty operations. The OSHA/NIOSH Health Hazard Alert Worker Exposure to Silica
During Hydraulic Fracturing
(http://www.osha.gov/dts/hazardalerts/hydraulic_frac_hazard_alert.html) combined with further
exposure assessment studies may help refine respirator selection on a task-based basis.
3M Personal Safety Division
3M Center, Building 235-2E-91
St. Paul, MN 55144-1000
References
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University of Washington Field Research and Consultation Group
(http://depts.washington.edu/silica)
Georgia Tech Safety and Health Consultation Program
(http://www.oshainfo.gatech.edu/silica-matrix.pdf)
Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Branch Guideline on Silica Projects
(http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/pubs/silica/index.php
For more information on 3M Products
In the United States
www.3m.com/PPESafety
In Canada
www. www.3M.com/CA/occsafety
Technical Service
Technical Service
1-800-243-4630
1-800-267-4914
3M Personal Safety Division
3M Center, Building 235-2E-91
St. Paul, MN 55144-1000