Everyone is still “patiently” waiting for OSHA to come out with its final ruling for the crystalline silica levels.

What is silica?  Silica is a type of sand commonly used in industrial manufacturing and in the oil and gas industry.  Silica has been regulated by the federal government since the 1970s.  The general industry standard is currently 100 micrograms of silica per cubic meter of air.

OSHA is proposing to cut the permissible exposure limit (PEL) in half for crystalline silica:  50 micrograms per cubic meter of air.  This is going to really hit many industries including:  foundry, construction, oil and gas fracking, brick, concrete and pottery.

The proposed new limit would be a marked change.  The reduced PEL presents challenges in the feasibility of reaching these limits.  In the foundry industry this is going to affect all levels, from ferrous to non ferrous, sand molding to no bake, casting cleaning to sand system operations, melting to maintenance.

The new regulations MAY be complete in February 2016.  Is your facility ready?  Do you know your numbers?  Do you have a plan?

Dust collectors and air make-up systems are key components of controlling silica in your facility.  Call ETA Engineering 800-988-2656 to help you design a silica solution for your facility.

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