Regulatory Info

• Train workers on work operations that result
in silica exposure and ways to limit exposure.
• Keep records of workers’ silica exposure and
medical exams.
What is Table 1?
Table 1 matches common construction tasks with
dust control methods, so employers know exactly
what they need to do to limit worker exposures
to silica. The dust control measures listed in the
table include methods known to be effective, like
using water to keep dust from getting into the
air or using ventilation to capture dust. In some
operations, respirators may also be needed.
Employers who follow Table 1 correctly are not
required to measure workers’ exposure to silica
and are not subject to the PEL.
Table 1 Example: Handheld Power Saws
If workers are sawing silica-containing materials,
they can use a saw with a built-in system that
applies water to the saw blade. The water limits
the amount of respirable crystalline silica that
gets into the air.
Table 1: Specified Exposure Control Methods
When Working with Materials Containing
Crystalline Silica
Equipment/
Task
Engineering and
Work Practice
Control Methods
Required
Respiratory
Protection
and Minimum
Assigned
Protection
Factor (APF)
≤ 4 hrs/
shift
> 4 hrs/
shift
Handheld
power saws
(any blade
diameter)
Use saw equipped
with integrated
water delivery
system that
continuously feeds
water to the blade.
Operate and
maintain tool in
accordance with
manufacturer’s
instructions to
minimize dust
emissions.
• When used
outdoors.
• When used
indoors or in an
enclosed area.
None
APF 10
APF 10
APF 10
In this example, if a worker uses the saw
outdoors for four hours or less per day, no
respirator would be needed. If a worker uses the
saw for more than four hours per day or any time
indoors, he or she would need to use a respirator
with an assigned protection factor (APF) of at
least 10. In this case, a NIOSH-certified filtering
facepiece respirator that covers the nose and
mouth (sometimes referred to as a dust mask)
could be used. If a worker needs to use a
respirator on 30 or more days a year, he or she
would need to be offered a medical exam.
Alternative exposure control methods
Employers who do not use control methods on
Table 1 must:
• Measure the amount of silica that workers are
exposed to if it may be at or above an action
level of 25 μg/m
3
(micrograms of silica per
cubic meter of air), averaged over an eight-
hour day.
• Protect workers from respirable crystalline
silica exposures above the permissible
exposure limit of 50 μg/m
3
, averaged over an
eight-hour day.
• Use dust controls to protect workers from
silica exposures above the PEL.
• Provide respirators to workers when dust
controls cannot limit exposures to the PEL.
When are employers required to comply
with the standard?
Construction employers must comply with all
requirements of the standard by June 23, 2017,
except requirements for laboratory evaluation of
exposure samples, which begin on June 23, 2018.
Additional information
Additional information on OSHA’s silica rule can
be found at www.osha.gov/silica.
OSHA can provide extensive help through a variety
of programs, including technical assistance about
effective safety and health programs, workplace
consultations, and training and education.
OSHA’s On-site Consultation Program offers free
and confidential occupational safety and health
services to small and medium-sized businesses in
all states and several territories across the country,
with priority given to high-hazard worksites.
On-site consultation services are separate from
enforcement and do not result in penalties or
citations. Consultants from state agencies or
universities work with employers to identify