Silica Exposure — Construction (Table 1)

Talking points

1. Respirable crystalline silica is found in concrete, brick, block, stone, morite, and sand. Cutting, drilling, grinding, or demolishing these materials releases silica dust.
2. The OSHA PEL for silica is 50 micrograms per cubic meter as an 8-hour time-weighted average. The action level is 25 µg/m³.
3. Construction employers can use Table 1 — a list of 18 common tasks with pre-defined engineering controls and respirator requirements. If you follow Table 1 fully, air monitoring is not required.
4. Common Table 1 controls include: wet cutting for saws, water sprays for jackhammers, and shrouds with HEPA vacuums for grinders.
5. Silicosis is irreversible lung scarring caused by silica exposure. It can develop after just a few years of unprotected exposure and there is no cure.

Ask the crew

What silica-generating tasks are we doing today — and are we following the Table 1 controls for each one?

Standards this talk is built on

• 29 CFR 1926.1153
• 29 CFR 1910.1053

A toolbox talk is a short safety briefing. It supports the training a standard requires; it does not replace it.

Sign-in sheet

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