Silica Exposure Control Program

Respirable crystalline silica is a naturally occurring component of sand, rock, soil, clay, granite, and other various materials. Employees exposed to respirable crystalline silica dust are at an increased risk of developing silicosis and other respiratory diseases, lung cancer, and kidney disease.

Symptoms of these diseases may not appear for many years following exposure. Respirable silica is very small and is not visible to the human eye so you may not even be aware you are being exposed.

Effective July 1, 2018, Oregon OSHA (OR-OSHA) began strictly enforcing a new silica standard that applies to all employees working on tasks which disturb silica-containing materials which may lead to exposures which exceed the Action Level (AL) of 25 micrograms per cubic centimeter (µg/m3) of silica compounds of the Permissible Exposure Limit of 50 µg/m3.

Quick Access Links:

OSHA Regulatory Guidance
Silica Competent Persons
PSU Task Specific Written Exposure Control Plan Template
Contractors
Resources | Respiratory Certifications

PSU Silica Exposure Control Plan

To ensure compliance with OR-OSHA, and for the continued safety and health of employees and campus community members, EHS provides support to construction and maintenance projects which may involve impacting respirable crystalline silica containing materials. This includes the Silica Exposure Control Plan (SECP), which provides a template for work practices to minimize the potential for exposure to silica-containing materials.

A complete copy of the SECP may be requested by contacting EHS.

Respiratory Protection

Beginning July 1, 2018 respiratory protection will be required during certain activities when prescribed by Table 1 (see below), or during initial exposure assessments.

Medical clearance and fit testing are required in order to be able to wear respiratory protection. These clearances are performed by Kaiser Permanente’s Occupational Health Department. Medical clearance may take many weeks so early application is encouraged.

For more information on the use of respiratory protection please visit the Respiratory Protection Program webpage.

Details for obtaining respirator certification may be found below under Resources.

OSHA Regulatory Guidance for Common Tasks/Methods

OSHA has published a guidance document, Table 1, which identifies common construction tasks that generate high exposures to respirable silica and specific engineering controls, work practices, and respiratory protection for each task.

Table 1: Specified Exposure Control Methods When Working With Material Containing Crystalline Silica

OR-OSHA: Understanding Table 1

For more information on how to apply Table 1, please review the SECP by requesting a copy through EHS. This information is also covered in the Silica Competent Person training.

OSHA Regulatory Guidance for Alternative Tasks/Methods

Employees conducting activities not listed in Table 1, or that do not comply with established engineering controls, shall have a personal exposure assessment to determine if their exposure exceeds the PEL or AL (see below for definitions); exposures in excess will require the use of respiratory protection for those activities.

The permissible exposure limit (PEL) is the concentration established by OSHA to which nearly all workers could be exposed for eight hours a day, five days a week, without adverse health effects. The PEL for respirable crystalline silica is 50 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3), averaged over an eight-hour work period.

The action level (AL) is used by OSHA to establish the level which requires increased exposure controls, medical surveillance, or industrial hygiene monitoring. The AL for respirable crystalline silica is 25 µg/m3.

Silica Competent Persons

A Silica Competent Person is responsible for frequently and regularly inspecting job sites, materials, and equipment to implement the silica exposure control plan. This individual can identify existing and foreseeable respirable crystalline silica hazards and is authorized to take prompt corrective action. A competent person can be someone that is also working on the job site or task.

Task Specific Written Exposure Control Plan Template

The task specific written exposure control plan template identifies specific tasks representing a silica exposure concern and prescribes engineering controls, work practices, and housekeeping methods. This document should be reviewed and completed prior to the start of a project or job task where there is a potential for exposure to respirable crystalline silica.

The task specific exposure control plan should be completed by a silica competent person and shared with all affected workers.

Training

Silica Competent Person training is provided by EHS for individuals who frequently work on job sites or conduct job tasks where the potential for exposure to respirable crystalline silica exists, and those who supervise those individuals.

At a minimum, supervisors and managers of Facilities and Property Management (FPM) crews and Capital Projects and Construction (CPC) Project Managers are required to attend this training.

Silica Awareness training is provided by EHS for all other FPM and CPC student workers and full-time employees who do not receive the competent person training.

For more information on Silica training please review the EHS Safety Training Website.

Contractors

Contractors that will be performing work at PSU are required to submit silica exposure control plans for all silica-related tasks to be conducted on campus. The contractor silica exposure control plans should be in compliance with the silica standard and submitted to the Project Manager and EHS.

Contractors should have completed training and have knowledge on the OSHA Silica standard. There are many resources available through Oregon OSHA, which are listed below.

Resources

Please see below for a list of resources related to working around Silica.