Silica Dust Sampling
The extremely small respirable silica particles can get deep into the lung producing serious health effects:
• Lung disease including silicosis, tuberculosis, and cancer
• Kidney disease
• Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis
NEW PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE LIMIT (PEL):
The U.S. OSHA significantly reduced the amount of silica that workers can be exposed to over an 8-hour workday.
Employers must ensure that no employee is exposed to a concentration of silica in excess of 50 micrograms of silica/cubic meter of air (μg/m 3) calculated as an 8-hr time-weighted average (TWA).
• An action level of 25 μg/m 3 was also set by OSHA.
OSHA 1926.1153(h)(1)(i) requires medical surveillance for any employee that wears a respirator for more than 30 days per year.
