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29 CFR 1910.1053: Silica dust in general industry

Subpart Z—Toxic and Hazardous Substances · official heading: Respirable crystalline silica

Where workers may breathe respirable crystalline silica at or above 25 micrograms per cubic meter (8-hour average), employers must assess exposure, keep it under 50, use engineering controls first, and provide respirators, medical exams and training where required.

4,439citations since 2015
1,335employers cited
81%serious, willful or repeat
$0median penalty per item

OSHA has cited 29 CFR 1910.1053 4,439 times since 2015, against 1,335 employers. Penalties on these items add up to $7,385,035 at their current amounts.

Citations per year

The parts of the rule cited most

1910.1053(d)(1) · 788 citations

(d) Exposure assessment—(1) General. The employer shall assess the exposure of each employee who is or may reasonably be expected to be exposed to respirable crystalline silica at or above the action level in accordance with either the performance option in paragraph (d)(2) or the scheduled monitoring option in paragraph (d)(3) of this section.

1910.1053(f)(2)(i) · 603 citations

(2) Written exposure control plan. (i) The employer shall establish and implement a written exposure control plan that contains at least the following elements:

1910.1053(j)(1) · 405 citations

(j) Communication of respirable crystalline silica hazards to employees—(1) Hazard communication. The employer shall include respirable crystalline silica in the program established to comply with the hazard communication standard (HCS) (29 CFR 1910.1200). The employer shall ensure that each employee has access to labels on containers of crystalline silica and safety data sheets, and is trained in accordance with the provisions of HCS and paragraph (j)(3) of this section. The employer shall ensure that at least the following hazards are addressed: Cancer, lung effects, immune system effects, and kidney effects.

1910.1053(c) · 331 citations

(c) Permissible exposure limit (PEL). The employer shall ensure that no employee is exposed to an airborne concentration of respirable crystalline silica in excess of 50 µg/m 3, calculated as an 8-hour TWA.

1910.1053(i)(1)(i) · 323 citations

(i) Medical surveillance—(1) General. (i) The employer shall make medical surveillance available at no cost to the employee, and at a reasonable time and place, for each employee who will be occupationally exposed to respirable crystalline silica at or above the action level for 30 or more days per year.

1910.1053(j)(3)(i) · 291 citations

(3) Employee information and training. (i) The employer shall ensure that each employee covered by this section can demonstrate knowledge and understanding of at least the following:

1910.1053(f)(1) · 268 citations

(f) Methods of compliance—(1) Engineering and work practice controls. The employer shall use engineering and work practice controls to reduce and maintain employee exposure to respirable crystalline silica to or below the PEL, unless the employer can demonstrate that such controls are not feasible. Wherever such feasible engineering and work practice controls are not sufficient to reduce employee exposure to or below the PEL, the employer shall nonetheless use them to reduce employee exposure to the lowest feasible level and shall supplement them with the use of respiratory protection that complies with the requirements of paragraph (g) of this section.

1910.1053(e)(1) · 171 citations

(e) Regulated areas—(1) Establishment. The employer shall establish a regulated area wherever an employee's exposure to airborne concentrations of respirable crystalline silica is, or can reasonably be expected to be, in excess of the PEL.

Industries cited most

  • Manufacturing 3,738
  • Wholesale Trade 210
  • Construction 125
  • Transportation and Warehousing 64
  • Retail Trade 59
  • Other Services (except Public Administration) 59

States cited most

Recently cited employers