You are most likely well-versed in OSHA’s silica standard, but maybe your attention has been pulled in other directions and 9/23/2017 is sneaking up on you! Do not fear – I’ve got some quick practical tips to make sure you’re up to speed on OSHA’s silica standard. I even have a written exposure control plan template for you if you haven’t had a chance to write your own program. You can skip straight to the template here.
A training presentation I used for ASSE meetings and other safety pros is available for download and customization below:
Silica Training for Safety Pros
It might be a little late to engage with an IH for further air sampling, but as long as you’ve had some sampling done in the past or have adequate objective data, you should be able to demonstrate good faith towards compliance and further understanding of respirable crystalline silica exposure for your personnel.
Do not end the week without pulling all personnel together who could have silica exposure and conducting TRAINING. It is important that your crews have the information at top of mind – especially answers to questions about why they are using specific engineering controls (Table 1 or due to air sampling data?) and how silica can impact their health.
No matter what, make sure your Competent Person(s) know you are there to support them and answer any questions they may have or receive from field personnel or other parties.
If you still need some assistance, do not hesitate to reach out!
