OSHA's final rule on Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica (81 FR 16286) requires employers to protect workers by actively monitoring exposure to dust, or compliance with “Table 1 - Specified Exposure Control Methods When Working With Materials Containing Crystalline Silica,” which is included in the 29 CFR 1926.1153 standard. Since Table 1 only identifies 18 types of equipment or tasks that may lead to hazardous exposure, OSHA is considering exploring other control measures. A Request for Information (RFI) has been submitted with a due date of December 2018.
Per the RFI, “OSHA is interested in information on the effectiveness of control measures not currently included for tasks and tools listed in Table 1. The Agency is also interested in tasks and tools involving exposure to respirable crystalline silica that are not currently listed in Table 1, along with information on the effectiveness of dust control methods in limiting worker exposure to respirable crystalline silica when performing those operations. OSHA intends to evaluate the available information to determine if revisions to Table 1 may be appropriate.”
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