Respirable Crystalline Silica Employee Safety Training

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1. Slide 1

   Respirable Crystalline Silica

   • Employee Safety Training
2. Slide 2

   Disclaimer

   • This material was produced under grant number SH05047SH8 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
3. Slide 3

   Trainee Learning Objectives

   • By the end of the training session, each trainee will be able to:
   • 1. Identify silica hazards in their workplace
   • 2. Describe controls to reduce silica exposure
   • 3. Understand the OSHA requirements for silica safety
   • 4. Identify specific steps they can take to reduce their exposure to silica hazards at their job
4. Slide 4

   Course Roadmap

   • Section 1: Why Silica is Hazardous
   • Section 2: Controlling Exposure to Silica
   • Section 3: Employer Requirements & OSHA Silica Standard
   • Section 4: Summary and Practical Steps
5. Slide 5

   Why Silica is Hazardous

6. Slide 6

   About Silica

   • Crystalline silica is a mineral found in many materials
7. Slide 7

   Silica in Industrial Processes

   • Industrial processes on these materials can cause workers to be exposed to small silica dust particles
   • Cutting, sawing, grinding, sanding, crushing, and drilling
8. Slide 8

   The Hazards of Silica

   • Small dust particles = respirable crystalline silica
   • Small enough to travel into a worker’s lungs!
   • These particles are at least 100 times smaller than ordinary sand!
9. Slide 9

   Is Exposure Hazardous?

   • Is exposure to crystalline silica hazardous? It depends on various factors:
   • Route of exposure
   • Toxicity
   • Dose and duration
   • Interaction
   • Individual characteristics
10. Slide 10

    Possible Health Effects

    • Once respirable crystalline silica reaches a worker’s lungs, it can cause:
    • Silicosis – an incurable lung disease that can lead to disability and death
    • Lung cancer
    • COPD – chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
    • Kidney disease
11. Slide 11

    Common Work Tasks and Industries where Silica Hazards Exist

    • Manufacturing
    • Glass, pottery, ceramic, brick, concrete, asphalt roofing, jewelry, artificial stone, dental, porcelain, or structural clay products
    • Industrial sand
    • Use of industrial sand in operations such as foundry work and hydraulic fracturing
    • Use of industrial sand for abrasive blasting
12. Slide 12

    Activity #1

    • Small Group Discussion
    • Think/Pair/Share
13. Slide 13

    Controlling Exposure to Silica

14. Slide 14

    Types of Controls

    • The hazards related to crystalline silica can be controlled using a variety of techniques. The types of controls include Elimination, Substitution, Engineering and Administrative controls, and PPE.
15. Slide 15

    Engineering Control Methods

    • Wet methods:
    • Apply water where silica dust is made
    • Local exhaust ventilation: Removes silica dust at or near the point where the dust is made
    • Enclosures:
    • Isolate the work process or the worker
16. Slide 16

    Administrative Control Methods

    • Housekeeping
    • Work schedules &
    • Job rotation
    • Inspections and job hazard analysis
17. Slide 17

    Personal Protective Equipment

    • Only engineering and administrative controls are not enough
    • Employers must provide appropriate respirators, and comply with requirements of the silica standard and the OSHA respiratory protection standard (29 CFR 1910.134)
18. Slide 18

    Activity #2

    • Video Case Study
    • Link to Video
19. Slide 19

    Employer Requirements

    • OSHA Silica Standard
20. Slide 20

    OSHA Silica Standard: 29 CFR 1926.1153

    • Provides silica safety requirements for employers
21. Slide 21

    Employer Requirements

    • Determine the amount of silica that workers are exposed to
    • Action level = 25 μg/m 3 , averaged over an 8-hour day
    • Provide worker protection when respirable crystalline silica exposure is above the permissible exposure limit
    • Permissible exposure limit = 50 μg/m 3 , averaged over an 8-hour day
22. Slide 22

    Additional Employer Requirements

    • Limit access to areas with respirable crystalline silica
    • Use dust control and safer work methods
    • Provide respirators when other controls cannot limit exposure
    • Provide a written exposure control plan
    • Restrict housekeeping practices that expose workers to silica
    • Offer medical exams (chest x-rays and lung function tests) every thee years to workers exposed at or above the action level for 30+ days per year
    • Train workers on silica exposure
    • Keep records of exposure and medical exams
23. Slide 23

    Employee’s Role

    • Use equipment and controls properly
    • Be aware
    • Participate in training, exposure monitoring, and screening programs
    • Don’t bring dust home
    • Don’t eat, drink, smoke, or apply cosmetics while near silica dust
    • Wash hands and face outside of dusty areas
24. Slide 24

    Activity #3

    • Action Plan
25. Slide 25

    Wrap Up

26. Slide 26

    Learning Objective 1 Review & Summary

    • 1. Identify silica hazards in their workplace
    • Crystalline silica is a mineral found in many materials: Stone, Rock, Concrete, Brick, Block, Mortar
    • Industrial processes (cutting, sawing, grinding, sanding, crushing, drilling) on these materials can cause workers to be exposed to small silica dust particles
27. Slide 27

    Learning Objective 2 Review & Summary

    • 2. Describe controls to reduce silica exposure
    • Engineering Controls
    • Administrative Controls
    • Personal Protective Equipment
28. Slide 28

    Learning Objective 3 Review & Summary

    • 3. Understand the OSHA requirements for silica safety
    • Some of the requirements of OSHA’s Silica Standard are:
    • Measure and monitor silica exposure
    • Provide worker protection when necessary
    • Train workers
    • Keep records
29. Slide 29

    Learning Objective 4 Review & Summary

    • 4. Identify specific steps they can take to reduce their exposure to silica hazards at their job
    • Use equipment and controls properly
    • Be aware
    • Participate in training, exposure monitoring, and screening programs
    • Don’t bring dust home
    • Don’t eat, drink, smoke, or apply cosmetics while near silica dust
    • Wash hands and face outside of dusty areas
30. Slide 30

    Stop Silicosis Video

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAByIIzQSuU.
31. Slide 31

    End of Training