Help Us Spread the Message – Contact your Congressman
AGC is supporting legislative attempts to force the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) to prove that their proposed rule to regulate the hazards of crystalline silica exposure is technologically and economically feasible prior to finalization, implementation or enforcement. Please contact your Congressman and help block implementation of OSHA’s proposed rule on silica.
Silica is one of the most abundant substances on earth. It is most commonly found in sand or Quartz. Silica is ubiquitous on construction sites by virtue of its presence in many commonly used construction materials including: concrete, bricks, rocks, and stones. Construction activities that can generate/spread silica dust include but may not be limited to: jackhammering, grinding, tuckpointing, milling, rock crushing, drywall finishing, earthmoving, sawing, and drilling.
The proposed rule is expected to be finalized later this year. The proposed rule is expected to cut the silica exposure limit by 80 percent, require operational control methods that are contrary to safety rules and require the purchase of new costly and ineffective equipment before then mandating the expanded use of respiratory protection. This week AGC sent a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives urging support for a provision to be included in the Fiscal Year 2017 Labor-HHS-Education funding bill that would ensure the rule is necessary and feasible prior to its implementation.
For more information, please contact Jim Young at youngj@agc.org or (202) 547-0133.