Silica Again!

摘要

Yes, as you read in this issue's President's Page, the silica discussion is back! Nearly 10 years ago, I addressed silica in the introductory Director's Dialog column in Concrete Openings. At the time, OSHA was proposing new regulations on respirable silica. They proposed a reduction of the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) level from 1.0 to 0.25. The source for this proposal was based upon OSHA's experience in the manufacturing sector but showed their dismal lack of understanding of the construction industry.