Silica Dust in General Industry: Preventing Exposure (Spanish)

Course Description:

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), exposure to respirable crystalline silica remains a serious threat to approximately 300,000 workers in over 75,000 U.S. general industry and maritime workplaces. OSHA estimates that over 100,000 of these workers are in high-exposure-risk jobs, such as operations using sand products, including glass manufacturing and sandblasting. Respirable crystalline silica, or silica, is a common mineral found in materials such as stone, artificial stone, and sand, and it has been classified as a human lung carcinogen. Additionally, breathing crystalline silica dust can cause silicosis, which in severe cases can be disabling, or even fatal. The respirable silica dust enters the lungs and causes the formation of scar tissue, thus reducing the lungs’ ability to take in oxygen. There is no cure for silicosis. The OSHA respirable crystalline silica rule for general industry found at 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1910.1053 sets forth requirements to significantly reduce the amount of silica dust that workers can be exposed to in the workplace, including employee training. This training session will cover the hazards of respirable crystalline silica and how to protect yourself and others each day on the job.