NEWS RELEASE: OSHA’s Final Rule on Silica Effect on Manufacturers

Ship & Shore Environmental helps manufacturers adapt and comply with new strict regulations regarding silica with our custom designed air pollution abatement system.  Our regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) with the use of silicon resistant media assists in the destruction and abatement of all emission including in most cases silica depending on the application.

“The National Federation of Independent Business estimates the rule will cost industry $7.2 billion a year to comply”

“But the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) warned the silica rule “drastically underestimates the exorbitant costs that will be inflicted on manufacturers.”

If you have questions or concerns about this new rule and how it might affect your manufacturing operations, Ship and Shore offers a confidential consultation offering answers and cost effective solutions.  CLICK HERE to email us directly or call a member of our team to find out more at (562)997-0233.

We have included a brief summary of the new rule issued by OSHA below and a link to the full report for your reference.

As stated in a Press Release today by the Us Department of Labor, the final rule will improve worker protection by:

• Reducing the permissible exposure limit for crystalline silica to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air, averaged over an eight-hour shift.
• Requiring employers to use engineering controls (such as water or ventilation) and work practices to limit worker exposure; provide respiratory protection when controls are not able to limit exposures to the permissible level; limit access to high exposure areas; train workers; and provide medical exams to highly exposed workers.
• Providing greater certainty and ease of compliance to construction employers – including many small employers – by including a table of specified controls they can follow to be in compliance, without having to monitor exposures.
• Staggering compliance dates to ensure employers have sufficient time to meet the requirements, e.g., extra time for the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) industry to install new engineering controls and for all general industry employers to offer medical surveillance to employees exposed between the PEL and 50 micrograms per cubic meter and the action level of 25 micrograms per cubic meter.

The final rule is written as two standards, one for construction and one for general industry and maritime.

Employers covered by the construction standard have until June 23, 2017 to comply with most requirements. Employers covered by the general industry and maritime standard have until June 23, 2018 to comply with most requirements; additional time is provided to offer medical exams to some workers and for hydraulic fracturing employers to install dust controls to meet the new exposure limit.

CLICK HERE TO READ FULL REPORT