Seyfarth Synopsis: OSHA has recently issued a Frequently Asked Questions for General Industry for the Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard. 

We had noted previously in the blog that most of the provisions of the Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for General Industry and Maritime, 29 CFR § 1910.1053, became enforceable on June 23, 2018. The standard established a new 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 50 µg/m3, an action level (AL) of 25 µg/m3, and additional ancillary requirements.

OSHA has now published a FAQs document that provides discussion on the Scope and Application (29 C.F.R. § 1910.1053(a)), Definitions (29 C.F.R. § 1910.1053(b)), Exposure Assessments (29 C.F.R. § 1910.1053(d)), Regulated Areas (29 C.F.R. § 1910.1053(e)), Methods of Compliance (29 C.F.R. § 1910.1053(f)), Written Exposure Control Plan (29 C.F.R. § 1910.1053(f)(2)), Housekeeping (29 C.F.R. § 1910.1053(h)), Medical Surveillance (29 C.F.R. § 1910.1053(i)), Communication of Respirable Crystalline Silica Hazards to Employees (29 C.F.R. § 1910.1053(j)), Recordkeeping (29 C.F.R. § 1910.1053(k)), and Temporary Employees.

Details relating to the enactment and regulation under the standard have been captured in our previous blogs on the topic.  See for instance OSHA Enforcement Memo for Crystalline Silica Standard in General Industry and Maritime, OSHA Publishes Crystalline Silica Standards Rule Fact Sheets for Construction, Circuit Court Finds OSHA Failed to Adequately Explain the Crystalline Silica Standards Rule, and OSHA Publishes “Small Entity Compliance” Guides for the Crystalline Silica Standards.