Silica Dust Collection
Reducing the Risk of Silica Dust Exposure
Silica is one of the most common substances found on the planet, and, accordingly, is used in countless industrial applications. It is the main ingredient in glass and is a major component of ceramic tile, cement, bricks and asphalt. It is widely used in metallurgy, agriculture and water filtration. It also appears in high-tech applications, such as fiber optics, and as a filler for paints, coatings, rubbers and plastics.
The industrial use of silica has been a hot topic, lately, due to a rule change from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in early 2016. As you will see in details below, OSHA has toughened its standards for exposure to silica dust. This rule change could affect as many as 2.3 million workers in approximately 676,000 workplaces. Affected industries include (but are not limited to):
- Glass and tile manufacturing
- Brick, concrete or pottery manufacturing
- Construction (especially applications that involve cutting, grinding or drilling rock, concrete, masonry or tile)
- Foundries, metalcasting facilities and diecasters
- Mining operations
- Shipyard and maritime workers
- Any industry using abrasive sandblasting
- Other industries using sand in their processes, such as hydraulic fracturing