White House hosts two meetings on silica

Washington – The White House hosted two meetings in June with industry representatives and government officials regarding OSHA’s crystalline silica proposed rule, which still is being developed.

Meetings took place June 8 with representatives from the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, and materials companies; and June 14 with representatives from the Portland Cement Association, the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute and the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association.

Among the materials submitted at the meetings were an information document (.pdf file) on silica in the ready mix industry from the Illinois Onsite Safety and Health Consultation Program and an article (.pdf file) published in the journal Risk Analysis suggesting current permissible exposure limits for silica are below the threshold for triggering lung disease.

Including these latest two meetings, administration and OSHA officials have hosted seven meetings since late March on the proposed silica rule. At the American Society of Safety Engineers’ Safety 2011 Exposition on June 13, OSHA administrator David Michaels said the proposal would be coming out “very soon.”