respirable dust

OSHA weighs in on voluntary and non-voluntary use of respirators

January 10, 2017

From an OSHA Letter of Interpretation: Scenario: An employee is dry cutting concrete in an outdoor, well-ventilated environment that creates a small amount of dust that never approaches the permissible exposure limit (PEL), and the supervisor advises the employee to put a dust mask on. Question: Does a supervisor advising an employee to put on a dust mask constitute non-voluntary (required) use even though the generated dust amount is below the PEL? Reply: Respiratory protection is required when such equipment is necessary to protect the health of the employee or whenever respirators are required by the employer.

From NIOSH Research Rounds

New rock-crusher booth protects against airborne pollutants

August 22, 2016

In the 1960s cartoon The Flintstones, Stone Age man Fred Flintstone worked in a quarry while sitting in the open booth of a rock-crusher machine. Presumably, the animators based Fred’s booth on the open designs typical of the 1960s. If they had created it in the 2000s, however, Fred’s booth would have looked vastly different, notwithstanding the fact that his booth was atop a brontosaurus.

From NIOSH Research Rounds:

Black lung disease affects both current and former coal miners

January 6, 2016

A new study at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) underscores the importance of anticipating respiratory disease, including black lung disease and loss of lung function, in former coal miners to allow them to receive an appropriate diagnosis and medical care.

Ohio foundry workers exposed to dangerous noise levels

January 23, 2015

While operating an industrial machine, a worker at MCM Precision Castings Inc. was exposed to noise levels that averaged 97 decibels, equal to the noise of a jackhammer, over his eight-hour shift. Employees of the Weston, Ohio-based company were also exposed to dangerously high noise levels and crystalline silica dust, a cause of chronic lung disease, OSHA has found.

Controversial new coal dust reg goes into effect today

Mining industry says MSHA ignored its input

August 1, 2014

New respirable dust regulations that are intended to reduce the incidence of black lung disease among miners take effect today, over the objections of the National Mining Association (NMA), which calls them “one-size-fits-all approach” that won’t deliver real worker protections.

HalenHardy to introduce respirable crystalline silica-removing, clothes cleaning MASHH mobile air shower at Shale Insight Conference

September 24, 2013

The Mobile Air Shower by HalenHardy (MASHH), which removes hazardous silica dust from workers clothing during oil and natural gas completions operations, will be introduced at the Shale Insight Conference in Philadelphia on Sept. 24-26.

Bill would force MSHA to act on dust limits

Black lung disease rates going in the wrong direction

August 6, 2013

Frustrated by rulemaking foot-dragging on the part of the Obama administration, West Virginia Senator Jay Rockefeller has introduced a bill that would impose a deadline on the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) for finalizing a proposal to reduce respirable dust limits in mines.

British Columbia proposes protections for workers exposed to silica

Construction industry groups requested it

July 16, 2013

The Canadian province of British Columbia (BC) has issued a new proposed rule for the construction industry on how to identify and control worker exposure to respirable silica and other rock dust.