Safety Services Company
Respirable crystalline silica, commonly known as silica dust, is produced when material containing crystalline silica such as concrete, stone, sand, brick and mortar is crushed, sawed or ground, creating tiny particles that become airborne.Workers exposed to this hazardous dust have an increased risk of developing silica-related diseases. The most common is silicosis, an incurable lung disease caused when silica dust enters the lungs and forms scar tissue making it difficult to take in oxygen.OSHA has established seperate standards for construction (§1926.1153) and general industry (§1910.1053) to protect workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica.
Silica exposure can lead to these health hazards:
Exposure to silica dust can lead to the development of lung cancer that is irreversible
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD) such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis
An incurable lung disease that can lead to disability and death
End-stage kidney failure
Silica Products and Prices:
Injury and Illness Prevention Plan Manual
Languages: English, Spanish
Digital Delivery: $600.00
Digital and Hard Copy: $725.00
3-Year Maintenance: $590.00
Description: MANUAL – The Injury and Illness Prevention Plan is a customized manual written to federal OSHA regulations. Pick from over 120 elective policies, such as silica dust, including silicosis, to build a complete safety manual. Opt into manual maintenance to ensure your manual remains up-to-date when regulations.
DIY Silica Kit
Duration: 45 minutes
Level: Intermediate
Digital: $550.00
Digital and Hard Copy: $675.00
Description: DIY TRAINING KIT: COURSE A – This course is designed to provide basic knowledge and awareness around crystalline silica. It’s meant to give an overview for potential trainers who can then use their knowledge of specific manufacturer devices and live practical sessions to train others working in or around boom lifts.
Silica Awareness Course
Duration: 30 minutes
Description: COURSE TRAINING A – This course is designed to give you basic knowledge on silica awareness. It covers topics such as where silica may be present, the dangers and risks associated with silica dust, including silicosis, and steps to mitigate those hazards.
Respirable Crystalline Silica Awareness for Construction
Description: COURSE TRAINING B – This course is designed to give you basic knowledge on silica awareness. It covers topics such as where silica may be present, the dangers and risks associated with silica dust, including silicosis, and steps to mitigate those hazards.
Respirable Crystalline Silica Awareness for General Industry
Description: COURSE TRAINING C – This course is designed to give you basic knowledge on silica awareness. It covers topics such as where silica may be present, the dangers and risks associated with silica dust, including silicosis, and steps to mitigate those hazards.
OSHA-like regulatory bodies, in addition to other safety and procedural requirements, enforce training for Silica. The regulations listed below each list some training requirements that Safety Services Company helps employers meet along with all other requirements.
OSHA requires employers to train employees on health hazards related to respirable silica, what tasks may expose them, control measures the employer uses to protect them, and medical surveillance.
Cal/OSHA training requirements are similar to those of OSHA for this standard, requiring training on health hazards, the types of jobs that involve exposure, control measures used, and medical surveillance.
If a job task produces respirable silica dust above the permissible exposure limit, employees will need respirators and must be trained to use them properly and in accordance with the general industry standard.
Where employees face high enough exposure levels, California employers must provide respiratory protection and train employees on its use.
California employers, like employers elsewhere, must use controls to cut respirable silica dust exposure.
OSHA’s training requirements in the construction standard are identical to the general industry requirements except that the company must designate a competent person and ensure employees know who that is.
Cal/OSHA’s construction standard for respirable crystalline silica is more stringent than federal OSHA’s, but the training requirements for construction are nearly identical to the federal standard’s requirements.
Similar to the standard for general industry, construction employers must train employees on the use of respiratory protection in accordance with the construction standard where necessary.
Where silica dust exists, California employers may use mechanical ventilation systems to reduce or eliminate exposure.
California employers performing construction work on concrete or masonry materials may generate silica dust or other harmful dust, and if they do, they must use a dust reduction system, train employees on the health hazards such as silicosis, and more.
Crystalline silica are very small particles that are at least:
Smaller than ordinary sand
I’ve been using Safety Services since 2019 and their training manuals are exceptionally better than any competitor in the market. When OSHA randomly showed up at a job site last summer, the SSC policies were customized so well to tailor to my business that NO consequences occurred per their audit.
Joe Betthauser