Regulatory Info

to implement controls and work practices that
reduce workers’ exposure to silica dust. For
most activities, that means that employers will
have to ensure that silica dust is wetted down or
vacuumed up before workers can breathe it in.
• Employers are required under the rule to
limit access to high exposure areas, provide
training, provide respiratory protection when
controls are not enough to limit exposure,
provide written exposure control plans,
and measure exposures in some cases.
Employers are also required to offer medical
examinations to highly exposed workers.
Workers who find out they have an illness,
such as lung disease, can use that information
to make employment or lifestyle decisions to
protect their health.
How will OSHA help employers comply
with the rule to protect their workers?
• The rule provides flexibility to help employers —
especially small businesses — protect workers
from silica exposure, with staggered compliance
dates to ensure sufficient time to meet the
requirements. Employers have from one to five
years to get the right protections in place.
• The rule includes special flexibility for the
construction industry. For the most common
tasks in construction, OSHA has spelled
out exactly how to best protect workers. If
employers follow those specifications, they
can be sure that they are providing their
workers with the required level of protection.
If they have better ideas about how to provide
protection, they can do that too — as long as
they make sure that their methods effectively
reduce their workers’ exposure to silica dust.
What industries are affected?
Affected industries include:
• Construction
• Glass manufacturing
• Pottery products
• Structural clay products
• Concrete products
• Foundries
• Dental laboratories
• Paintings and coatings
• Jewelry production
• Refractory products
• Ready-mix concrete
• Cut stone and stone products
• Abrasive blasting in maritime, construction,
and general industry
• Refractory furnace installation and repair
• Railroad transportation
• Oil and gas operations
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
workplace hazards, provide advice on compliance
with OSHA standards, and assist in establishing
and improving safety and health management
systems. To locate the OSHA On-site Consultation
Program nearest you, call 1-800-321-OSHA (6742)
or visit www.osha.gov/dcsp/smallbusiness.
For more information on this and other health-
related issues impacting workers, to report an
emergency, fatality, inpatient hospitalization, or to
file a confidential complaint, contact your nearest
OSHA office, visit www.osha.gov, or call OSHA at
1-800-321-OSHA (6742), TTY 1-877-889-5627.
This is one in a series of informational fact sheets highlighting OSHA programs, policies or
standards. It does not impose any new compliance requirements. For a comprehensive list of
compliance requirements of OSHA standards or regulations, refer to Title 29 of the Code of Federal
Regulations. This information will be made available to sensory-impaired individuals upon request.
The voice phone is [phone]; teletypewriter (TTY) number: [phone].
DSG FS-3683 03/2016