Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley and Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator Megan Lockhart talk about Cal/OSHA’s recent approval of a Silica Emergency Temporary Standard.

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https://www.dir.ca.gov/oshsb/documents/petition-597-staffeval.pdf

Current Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard

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Director/Host: Alyssa Burley

Guest: Megan Lockhart

Producer/Editor: Lauren Stumpf

Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “News Room News” by Spence

© Copyright 2023. Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

Transcript

Alyssa Burley: Hi, this is Alyssa Burley with Rancho Mesa’s Media Communications and Client Services Department. Thank you for listening to today’s top Rancho Mesa news brought to you by our safety and risk management network, StudioOne™.

Welcome back, everyone. My guest is Megan Lockhart, Media Communications and Client Services Coordinator with Rancho Mesa. Today, we’re going to talk about Cal/OSHA’s recent approval of a Silica Emergency Temporary Standard.  Megan, welcome to the show.

ML: Thanks for having me, Alyssa.

AB: So, many listeners may be thinking that OSHA already has a silica standard and they would correct. However, the new Cal/OSHA ETS aims to protect workers in the fabricated stone industry.

Megan, what makes Cal/OSHA’s Silica Emergency Temporary Standard different from what is currently in effect?    

ML: Well, in July 2023, California’s OSHA Standards Board approved moving forward with a Respirable Crystaline Silica (Silica) ETS in response to the number of advanced silicosis cases developing in the fabricated stone industry. These would be engineered stone manufacturers typically making things like countertops. But there are certainly other applications where engineered stone is used in construction and landscape projects.

The Western Occupational and Environmental Medical Association, or WOEMA, urged the Standards Board to consider an ETS that applies to workplaces using engineered stone with a high silica content of greater than 50 percent. They also urged the Standards Board to consider limiting employee access to regulated areas where artificial stone is fabricated, prohibiting fabrication without the use of water to suppress dust, requiring airline respirators or power air-purifying respirators for all work involving fabrication of artificial stone, and also an annual documentation indicating that the employer has sent a letter to the Cal/OSHA Occupational Carcinogen Control Unit. They also urged the Standards Board to consider strengthening the penalty structure so that violations of the ETS result in citations classified as serious, updating guidance prepared by Cal/OSHA with information on computerized CT exams and other diagnostic studies, and reporting requirement for physicians or other licensed health care professionals to inform Cal/OSHA of any silicosis diagnoses of moderate severity or worse.

AB: Now are those precautions not in the current Silica standard?

ML: Well, Cal/OSHA’s staff evaluated the existing standard and they concluded that many of the items that were requested are already in the standard. So, the Board actually voted against their own staff’s recommendation to deny the ETS request.

The current Silica standard identifies how much silica an employee can be exposed to on the job over a period of time and recommends policies and procedures employers should follow to keep exposure to a minimum, like in what situations a respirator is required. 

AB: So, when should we have the new silica ETS?

ML: We expect the new ETS will be drafted over the next several months. So, until then, we’ll continue to utilize the existing Silica standard.

AB: This is a topic that affects nearly everyone working on the jobsite or in a fabrication shop. So, even if an employer isn’t directly working with silica, employees should still be trained on the dangers and how to protect themselves on the job. If listeners are interested in silica safety training, Megan where do you recommend they get it?

ML: Yeah, clients can utilize our Silica Safety in Industrial and Construction Environments course that is available in English or Spanish via the SafetyOne website. Employees can watch the video, take a quiz and receive a certificate of completion.

AB: Great. I think we’ll many of our listeners take advantage of that course. Megan, thanks for joining me in StudioOne.

ML: Thanks Alyssa.

AB: This is Alyssa Burley with Rancho Mesa. Thanks for tuning in to our latest episode produced by StudioOne™. For more information, visit us at ranchomesa.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.