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New Regulations: Crystalline Silica

Are you and your team ready for the New OSHA Crystalline Silica Standard for Construction Workers?

OSHA will delay enforcement of the respirable crystalline silica standard for construction until September 23, 2017, to conduct additional outreach and provide educational materials and guidance for employers. The new standard reduces the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for respirable crystalline silica to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air, averaged over an 8-hour shift. About two million construction workers are exposed to respirable crystalline silica in over 600,000 workplaces.

Crystalline Silica can cause incurable lung disease leading to death. OSHA estimates that more than 840,000 of these workers are exposed to silica levels that exceed the new permissible exposure limit (PEL). For more information, please visit www.osha.gov/silica.