OSHA to host webinar on silica exposure in engineered stone industry
Photo: Bill Oxford/iStockphoto
Washington — Protecting workers in the engineered stone industry from exposure to crystalline silica will be the topic of an OSHA webinar scheduled for March 14.
Workers can inhale silica dust while cutting, sawing, drilling or crushing materials such as rock and stone. Crystalline silica can damage lung tissue and lead to black lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or silicosis, defined by NIOSH as “an irreversible but preventable lung disease.”
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report published in September 2019 warned of “an emerging public health threat” after researchers identified an increase in cases of silicosis among workers who handle engineered stone designed primarily for household countertops. In April 2022, OSHA announced an emphasis program for workers in Region 8. In December 2023, California’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board approved an emergency temporary standard on silica hazards for workers who handle engineered stone.
Registration is required for OSHA’s free webinar, set for 11 a.m. Eastern. Spanish translation will be available.
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