OSHA Announces 30-Day Extension for Silica Exposure Compliance

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced a 30-day extension for its rule regarding exposure to crystalline silica in the maritime industry. However, there are a few caveats. For a maritime employer to be eligible for this extension, he or she must make "good-faith" efforts towards compliance. Otherwise, the employer may still be cited.

OSHA had originally set a compliance date for the crystalline silica rule for June 23, 2018 -- and that's not necessarily expected to change. However, OSHA says it will help employers comply with the new rule for the first 30 days to potentially avoid citations. This is undoutedbly welcome news for the thousands of maritime employers who are affected by OSHA's new rule.

So, what kind of provisions are included in the crystalline silica rule? Basically, the new rule lowers the permissible levels of crystalline silica to which workers can be exposed. Under OSHA's newly updated rule, construction workers can only be exposed to no more than 50 micrograms of crystalline silica per cubic meter or air over an eight-hour period. For workers in the maritime industry and other industries, permissible exposure levels are about half of the levels of the previous rule.

The purpose of this rule, like many other workplace safety rules, is to protect workers from injury and illness. Crystalline silica is a fine, sand-like mineral that's comprised of quartz and other natural compounds. According to OSHA, exposure to crystalline silica threatens the health of more than 2 million workers each year, about 100,000 of whom work in high-risk jobs like rock drilling, foundry and abrasive blasting. The biggest threat of crystalline silica exposure is the potential for silicosis, a lung disease that's characterized by the mineral dust entering the lungs and triggers the formation of scar tissue.

"During the first 30 days of enforcement, OSHA will assist employers that are making good-faith efforts to meet the new standard’s requirements. If upon inspection it appears an employer is not making any efforts to comply, compliance officers should conduct air monitoring in accordance with agency procedures and consider citations for noncompliance with any applicable sections of the new standard," said Galen Blanton, acting deputy assistant secretary for OSHA.

You can learn more about crystalline silica exposure and its associated health risks by visiting OSHA's official portal at

https://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/crystalline-factsheet.pdf.

What do you think of OSHA's new crystalline silica exposure rule?