Are you aware of how low the latest silica exposure PEL is? One cut of a silica-based tile has enough silica to over-expose workers for the entire day!
We have conducted hundreds of silica tests for construction, general industry, maritime, agriculture and others.
Airborne silica is currently a very hot item for regulatory reasons in the workplace. Recently OSHA changed the permissible exposure levels to silica dust to be extremely low. There are many kinds of silica and not all types matter, and not all silica dusts themselves matter. (By silica is meant here “Crystalline” silica)
We are qualified to evaluate your raw, intermediate or final product materials to determine what silica type you have and what exposure levels are probable. From there we can test to determine what your exposure is, and give you peace of mind.
Dusts that can be seen are sometimes accompanied by dusts that cannot be seen. It’s a mistake to estimate levels based on what you can see. The respiratory tract is great at removing large dusts and certain very small dusts are easily breathed in and back out. But respirable sized dust gets trapped in the lower lung causing potential serious health issues.
Some occupations have expected exposures more than others. Sandblasting of buildings, oil field work, ship builders, surface miners, underground miners and tunnel workers, ceramic, clay and pottery workers, glass manufacturers, railraod workers (setting/laying track engine rebuilding), grinders/polishers, welders, manufacturers of abrasives, soap and detergent workers, nuclear testing sites – the list goes on.
But it’s not just these main occupations that are exposed. Any tasks involving crushing, loading, hauling, dumping, sawing, hammering, drilling, chopping, demolishing, dry sweeping, chipping, etc. of materials containing even slight amounts of crystalline silica can me over-exposure.
Don’t be left guessing about exposure and leaving yourself vulnerable to workplace inspection violations, workers compensation claims for lung disease, aggravated pre-existing conditions and a host of other related problems.
Call us today for a free initial consultation.