OSHA, CPWR to Hold Silica Webinar

Three OSHA officials will participate in a panel discussion of the agency’s standard for respirable crystalline silica in construction next Tuesday, Oct. 20. The discussion will address common violations of the standard, medical examination requirements, and exposure control methods, among other topics.

Panelists include Jennifer M. Kim, CIH, director of OSHA’s Office of Health Enforcement; Stephen Schayer, PhD, CIH, director of OSHA’s Office of Physical Hazards; and Minda Nieblas, MD, MPH, director of OSHA’s Office of Occupational Medicine and Nursing. Chris Trahan Cain, CIH, the executive director of CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training, will moderate the discussion.

The event is scheduled for 2–3:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 20. Free registration is required.

According to a description on the registration page, the webinar is intended to respond to questions generated by attendees of an earlier event at which CPWR re-launched its “Work Safely With Silica” website. 

OSHA’s final rule on silica in construction was published in 2016 and went into effect the following year. It established an eight-hour, time-weighted average permissible exposure limit of 50 µg/m3 respirable crystalline silica and required employers to use engineering controls to limit worker exposure. 

Related: An article in the February 2017 issue of The Synergist discusses the role of the “competent person” in OSHA’s silica standard for construction.