Occupational Health and Safety Committee Revises Silica Standard, Creates New Subcommittee

摘要

AN IMPORTANT STANDARD THAT IS used to help protect the health of workers where there may be occupational exposure to quartz dust has recently been revised. ASTM standard E 1132, Practice for Health Requirements Relating to Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica, was developed by Subcommittee E34.16 on Silicas, which is under the jurisdiction of Committee E34 on Occupational Health and Safety. "E 1132 contains practical information concerning how and where to evaluate the extent of respirable crystalline silica in the air that an employee could potentially inhale, procedures for medical surveillance, effective engineering controls, work practices aimed at preventing excessive exposure and appropriate personal protective equipment," says Kenneth Vorpahl, a subcommittee member and general manager, safety and health, Unimin Corporation.