OSHA Proposes 50ug/m3 Silica Exposure Limit For Construction, General Industries

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed a new crystalline silica exposure standard that it says will prevent 1,600 cases of silicosis and save 700 lives each year.

The proposed rule, which would include a permissible exposure limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter over an eight-hour period, will be subject to public comment once it is published in the Federal Register, according to the agency’s Aug. 23 announcement.

The rule would also set an “action” level of 25 ug/m3 that would require monitoring and lead to dust controls, worker protections and …