Respirable Crystalline Silica in the Workplace: New Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Standards

Szymendara, Scott D.

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service.

关键词: Occupational health and safety;    Environmental health;    Industrial toxicology;   

RP-ID  :  R44476
RP-ID  :  R44476_2017May31

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

This report discusses the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) newly published new standards regulating exposure to crystalline silica in the workplace. Under the new standards, the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for crystalline silica will be reduced to 50 µg/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter of air). Employers will be required to monitor crystalline silica exposure if workplace levels may exceed 25 µg/m3 for at least 30 days in a year and provide medical monitoring to employees in those workplaces. In the case of construction workers, medical monitoring is required only if the new standards require workers to wear respirators for at least 30 days in a year.