12/2/2023 0 Comments Lesson plans plaster cloth maskEnsure that the exposure does not involve contaminants that the respirator is not designed to protect from.Ensure that only NIOSH-certified respirators are used and ones with the proper design for the application.Ensure proper respirator use and maintenance per manufacturer’s instructions.Under this Appendix, the employer must meet the following OSHA requirements: If your workplace is in compliance with dust standards, employers can permit workers to wear air-purifying respirators, following OSHA’s (Mandatory) Information for Employees Using Respirators When not Required Under Standard. OSHA mandates specific requirements for the use of respirators. If respirators are used, a respiratory protection program is required to ensure that they are used properly. OSHA regulations govern the use of respirators in construction. A respirator is designed to protect workers from inhaling hazardous dusts when properly used. In many cases, engineering controls are not adequate for safely controlling dust, and respirators must be used. If controls are not being used, or when performing tasks not listed in Table 1, employers are required to conduct air sampling to measure workers’ exposure to silica or obtain objective data to demonstrate that they comply. Employers who use the controls specified in Table 1 are in compliance when they perform those tasks. 1153 has simplified the compliance process in construction by matching 18 common construction tasks with effective dust control methods and respiratory protection. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) silica dust standard for construction requires employers to limit worker exposures to silica dust and protect them. Site preparation workers can be exposed during earthmoving, excavation and trenching, and demolition, and drywall workers can be exposed when cutting drywall and sanding joints. Highway, street, and bridge construction workers can be exposed during abrasive blasting, drilling, milling, breaking, and cutting concrete. Tile workers can be exposed when cutting ceramic tiles or stone. Masons can be exposed when cutting concrete blocks and bricks, mixing mortar, and tuckpointing. For example, concrete workers can be exposed to silica dust during mixing, sawing, jackhammering, chipping, grinding, and cleaning operations. Ĭonstruction workers can be exposed to silica dust from many sources. A recent study of workers exposed to silica dust by industry published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine found that of 100,000 workers who were exposed above the NIOSH REL, 8 out of 10 of those workers were in the construction industry. NIOSH sets Recommended Exposure Limits (RELs), including a suggested limit of exposure to silica dust. It’s estimated that about 2 million construction workers are exposed to silica dust on the job. Workplace exposure to small particles of silica dust, also known as respirable crystalline silica, can lead to serious diseases, including silicosis, a progressive lung disease marked by scarring and thickening of the lung tissue lung cancer chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and kidney disease. Construction workers can be exposed to many types of dust, such as silica, wood, and lead dust. Photo from NIOSHĬonstruction dust can cause serious damage to workers’ health and life-threatening diseases. Tuckpointing with dust controls and respirator.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |