I. OSHA Publications
1. Crystalline Silica Fact Sheet (English: PDF )
(Spanish: PDF )
2. Silica: Controlling Silica Exposures in Construction
(OSHA 3362 - 2009) Based on the information in this booklist, OSHA developed eight very helpful fact sheets about controlling exposures for specific tools. a. Hand-Operated Grinders b. Handheld Masonry Saws c. Jackhammers d. Rotary Hammers e. Masonry Saws f. Vehicle-Mounted Drilling Rigs
(FS-3631)
(FS-3633) g. Doing Tuckpointing/Mortar Removal (FS-3632)
II. OSHA Silica e-Tool :
(FS-3628)
(FS-3627)
(FS-3629)
(FS-3630) a. Determining Silica Exposure b. Measuring the Amount of Airborne Silica c. Comparing Your Exposure to OSHA's Limit
This feature allows you to calculate the federal OSHA
PEL and compare your test result. You can follow a written example or use the Advisor Genius tool that will do the calculation for you. That PEL is based on mg/m 3 .
If you have a construction crew, then the concentration and the OSHA PEL would need to be converted to million particles per cubic feet (mppcf).
There are several helpful website resources that can be downloaded . OSHA’s Safety &
Health page on crystalline Silica is the Agency’s main resource for information about silica hazards, health effects, control methods, and other standards application to protecting workers, who are exposed to respirable crystalline silica on the job. The following are various helpful links that will help companies and safety personnel.
OSHA provides helpful information on how to make those conversions to mppcf.
Taking Action to Protect Against Silica d. Frequently Asked Questions
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OSHA Respiratory APF :
The Audience for this Guide
The employer should read this guide if it is likely that you will need to establish and implement a respiratory protection program.
The rulemaking on the reserved sections of the Respiratory
Protection standard have now been completed (71 FR 50122;
August 24, 2006).
III. Center for Construction Research and Training :
CPWR is a world leader in construction safety and health research and training. A new feature has been added to the “Work Safely With Silica” website at silica-safe.org. This website provides information on silica and ways to minimize its airborne exposures.
Silica-Safe.org
The Create-A-Plan feature is an ‘e-tool’ that allows you to develop a plan for controlling silica exposures in just three easy steps. It includes options for identifying a material's silica content, determining the level of exposure, and finding examples of commercially available controls. You can save your job-specific plans to control silica to your computer so that it can be edited and used at a later date!
IV. Blueprintproject.org
This is a series of individual “how-to” guides for managing silica in construction activities.
It was designed to aid construction managers in planning, implementing, and integrating health hazard control programs for crystalline silica in daily operations. Its “ Planning for
Respirator Use ” chapter provides helpful guidance in selecting an appropriate respirator for typical activities and hand tools. It reference was based on an occupational exposure level of 0.05mg/m 3 for an 8-hr time-weighted average.
V. NIOSH Workplace Safety & Health Topics -Silica
1. NIOSH Hazard Review: Health Effects of Occupational Exposure to Respirable
Crystalline Silica document
2. The NIOSH policy on respiratory protection for crystalline silica document
3. Preventing Silicosis and Deaths in Construction Workers document
4. Preventing Silicosis and Deaths from Sandblasting document
5. NIOSH Engineering Controls for Silica in Construction
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V1. Other Silica resources:
by Washington State Dept of Labor & Industries http://depts.washington.edu/silica/pdf/Respirator%20Prediction2.pdf
by Washington State
Dept of Labor & Industries
This document is respirator guidance model for the construction industry base on the type of tool or work task that would expose workers to airborne dust containing silica quartz.
Developing a silica exposure control plan - WorkSafeBC.com
This guidance document is intended to assist employers to development an exposure control plan (ECP) that meets the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation and protects workers from overexposure to silica dust. 18 pages
Spanish Resources http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/niosh/
NIOSH offers many helpful and diverse research documents.
Clicking on the “translate” button, will take convert a page from English to
Spanish.
Hispanic construction workers are at higher risk of fatal injury than their non-Hispanic coworkers. Several ongoing research initiatives focus on improving our understanding of this disparity. The CPWR has the largest on-line collection of Spanish language construction safety materials on eLCOSH – www.eLCOSH.org
(click on español) – more than 130 documents and a site map in Spanish.
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Resources:
Creada y patrocinada por CPWR - Centro de investigacion en la Industria de la
Construccion.
Spanish eLCOSH
Spanish Hazard Alert Cards
Documents:
Spanish-Speaking Construction Workers Discuss Their Safety Needs and Experiences.
Protección personal y ayuda a los demás: consideraciones de seguridad para participantes en operaciones de auxilio del Huracán Katrina
VII. VIDEOS (YouTube):
Air Sampling for Worker Silica Dust Exposure 2001 MSHA .... Time 0:27
Silicosis Diagnosis 2001 MSHA ............................................. Time 0:42
Silicosis Described 2001 MSHA ............................................. Time 0:22
Worksafe BC Silica ............................................................... Time 2:01
Clean the Air – HSE ............................................................... Time 2:01
Respiratory Protection
Respirator Safety Time 9:17
Respiratory Protection in Construction: An Overview of Hazards Time 10:14
Proteccion Respiratoria: Un Resumen do los Peligros Asociados Time 10:14
Dewalt Roto Hammer Dust Collection System ....................... Time 0:38
BitBuddie Dustless Bit Shroud ............................................... Time 1:57
12" Core Drilling with Angle Grinder ....................................... Time 1:30
Holemasters - Diamond Drilling .............................................. Time 0:41
Grinders:
Dust Collection on Mortar Tuckpointing .................................. Time 0:35
Homemade dust shroud for diamond grinding ........................ Time 2:25
Dust Grabber Shroud ............................................................. Time 4:06
Review a Couple of Methods of Dust Collection ..................... Time 4:06
DeWalt grinders with dust collection shrouds ......................... Time 2:39
Sawing:
Husqvarna K3000 Vac 14" Dry Electric Concrete Saw ........... Time 2:25
Jackhammers:
Dust Collection for Hammer Drills .......................................... Time 2:25
Vacuum Exhaust:
New Dust Deputy ................................................................... Time 3:58
Dust Control for Concrete Saws, Grinders & Equipment ........ Time 3:58
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