At the time Cal/OSHA adopted the revised federal standard the package included a table that federal OSHA developed in an attempt to assist some construction employers in complying with the standard. This table matches common construction tasks with dust control methods.
The revised standard and table can be found here.
So, for construction employers whose jobs include the identified equipment/tasks, they may use Table 1.
- Title 8, 1532.3 (c) Specified exposure control methods. (1) For each employee engaged in a task identified on Table 1, the employer shall fully and properly implement the engineering controls, work practices, and respiratory protection specified for the task on Table 1, unless the employer assesses and limits exposure of the employee to respirable crystalline silica in accordance with subsection (d)
- This table identifies eighteen (18) equipment/tasks and provides 1) engineering and work practice control methods for that task and 2) identifies required respiratory protection and minimum assigned protection factors for shifts 4 hours or less, and for shifts more than 4 hours.
For construction employers whose jobs are not identified in Table 1, or where the employer does not fully and properly implement the engineering controls, work practices and respiratory protection described in Table 1, they shall comply with the following:
- Title 8, 1532.3 (d) Alternative exposure control methods. For tasks not listed in Table 1, or where the employer does not fully and properly implement the engineering controls, work practices, and respiratory protection described in Table 1:
- (1) Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) states “The employer shall ensure that no employee is exposed to an airborne concentration of respirable crystalline silica in excess of 50 µg/m³, calculated as an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA)
- (2) Exposure assessment – this subsection states that “The employer shall assess the exposure of each employee who is or may reasonably be expected to be exposed to respirable crystalline silica at or above the action level…” The employer may use one of two optins to perform this assessment.
- Under 1532.3 (d)(B) – Performance option – the employer shall assess the 8-hour TWA exposure for each employee on the basis of any combination of air monitoring data or objective data sufficient to accurately characterize employee exposures to respirable crystalline silica.
- Under 1532.2 (d)(C)(1) – Scheduled monitoring option – the employer shall perform initial monitoring to assess the 8-hour TWA exposure for each employee on the basis of one or more personal breathing zone air samples that reflect the exposures of employees on each shift, for each job classification, in each work area
- (2) – If initial monitoring indicates that employee exposures are below the action level, the employer may discontinue monitoring for those employees whose exposures are represented by that monitoring
- (3) – Where the most recent exposure monitoring indicates that employee exposures are at or above the action level but at or below the PEL, the employer shall repeat such monitoring within three months of the most recent monitoring
- (4) – Where the most recent (non-initial) exposure monitoring indicates that employee exposures are below the action level, the employer shall repeat such monitoring within six months of the most recent monitoring until two consecutive measurements, taken seven or more days apart, are below the action level, at which time the employer may discontinue monitoring for those employees whose exposures are represented by such monitoring, except as otherwise provided in subsection (d)(2)(D) [this subsection addresses reassessment of exposures when changes occur in production process, control equipment, personnel, or work practices may reasonably be expected to result in new or additional exposures at or above the action level or when the employer has reason to believe that new or additional exposures at or above the action level have occurred]
- Under 1532.3 (d)(2)(E) Methods of sample analysis – this subsection specifies that employers shall ensure that all samples taken to satisfy the monitoring requirements of subsection (d)(2) [Exposure assessments] are evaluated by a laboratory that analyzes air samples for respirable crystalline silica in accordance with Appendix A. This Appendix relates to Methods of Sample Analysis.
The full text of the Respirable Crystalline Silica standard Title 8, §1532.3 adopted by the Cal/OSHA Standards Board can be found here.