Respirable crystalline silica

The PEL for respirable crystalline silica in shipyard employment is 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air (50 µg/m3) as an 8-hour time-weighted average. See 1915.1053 which adopts the exposure limits and requirements set forth at 1910.1053.

The action level is 25 micrograms per cubic meter of air (25 µg/m3) as an 8‑hour TWA. When employee exposures meet or exceed this action level, employers must begin exposure monitoring and take steps required by the standard such as offering medical surveillance and implementing appropriate exposure controls. See 1915.1053 and the requirements adopted from 1910.1053.

The employer must assess employee exposures by performing workplace air monitoring or by using valid objective data that demonstrate exposures will not exceed the action level or PEL. If monitoring is used, the employer must follow the exposure assessment and notification requirements in the standard. See 1915.1053 which incorporates the monitoring provisions of 1910.1053.

The employer must use feasible engineering controls and work practices to reduce exposures to or below the PEL; respirators are allowed only when those controls cannot adequately reduce exposure. Employers must implement engineering and work practice controls except where they are not able to reduce exposures to or below the PEL, in which case the employer must provide respirators and follow the respiratory protection requirements. See 1915.1053 and the control-hierarchy requirements in 1910.1053.

Yes. Employers must develop and implement a written exposure control plan that identifies tasks that produce respirable crystalline silica exposures and describes the engineering controls, work practices, and respiratory protection used to limit exposures. The plan must be accessible to employees and their representatives. See 1915.1053 and the comparable requirements at 1910.1053.

Employers must use feasible engineering controls such as local exhaust ventilation, wet methods to suppress dust, and enclosed systems when those controls can reduce exposures to the PEL. If engineering controls alone are insufficient, employers must supplement with work practices and respiratory protection. See 1915.1053 and the control requirements in 1910.1053.

Respirators are required when engineering and work practice controls cannot reduce exposures to or below the PEL, during certain short-term tasks that produce high exposures, and when an employer uses a control method (or interruption of controls) that requires respiratory protection. The employer must provide appropriate respirators, establish a respiratory protection program, and follow the respirator provisions in the standard. See 1915.1053 and the respirator provisions adopted from 1910.1053.

Employers must provide effective training that explains silica’s health hazards, tasks that could lead to exposure, the employer’s exposure control plan, how to select and use controls and respirators, medical surveillance, and the required recordkeeping. Training must be provided at the time of initial assignment and whenever a new exposure hazard is introduced. See 1915.1053 and the training requirements in 1910.1053.

Employers must offer medical surveillance to employees who are exposed at or above the action level (25 µg/m3) for 30 or more days per year, and to any employee who is required to wear a respirator for 30 or more days per year to control silica exposure. The medical exam must include the elements specified by the standard and be offered at no cost to the employee. See 1915.1053 and the medical surveillance provisions in 1910.1053.

Employers must keep records of exposure measurements and objective data; they must also maintain medical surveillance records. Medical records for each employee must be retained for the duration of employment plus 30 years. Exposure monitoring and objective data records must be retained as required by the standard. See 1915.1053 and the recordkeeping requirements in 1910.1053.

Yes. Employers may use valid objective data (such as historical monitoring data for the same process, material, and controls) to demonstrate that employee exposures will not exceed the PEL or action level in lieu of air monitoring, provided the data meet the standard’s criteria. Employers must document and retain the objective data and its basis. See 1915.1053 and the objective data provisions in 1910.1053.

Yes. Employers must use cleaning methods that minimize exposure to silica—such as HEPA‑filtered vacuuming or wet sweeping—instead of dry sweeping or using compressed air for cleaning unless compressed air is used with effective dust collection. These housekeeping rules are intended to prevent generation and spread of respirable crystalline silica. See 1915.1053 and the housekeeping provisions in 1910.1053.

Employers must promptly notify affected employees of their individual exposure monitoring results, and must inform employees of the corrective actions required or taken when exposures exceed the PEL. The standard sets specific notification timeframes and documentation requirements that employers must follow. See 1915.1053 and the notification provisions in 1910.1053.

No. The requirements applicable to shipyard employment under 1915.1053 are identical to those set forth at 1910.1053. Employers in shipyards should follow the same exposure limits, control measures, and program requirements as general industry employers. See 1915.1053.

When processes, controls, or work practices change in a way that could affect silica exposures, employers must reassess exposures, update the written exposure control plan, retrain employees, and make any additional controls or respiratory protection changes necessary to maintain exposures at or below the PEL. See 1915.1053 and the reassessment and plan-update requirements in 1910.1053.

Yes. Employers must use specified engineering controls, such as enclosed blasting cabinets, local exhaust ventilation, wet methods, or appropriate respiratory protection when controls cannot reduce exposures to the PEL. The standard contains task‑specific guidance and required control measures for high‑exposure activities like abrasive blasting and cutting. See 1915.1053 and the task‑specific provisions in 1910.1053.

If an employee shows signs or symptoms of a silica‑related health condition or if a medical exam reveals work‑related health effects, the employer must provide appropriate medical follow-up, ensure the employee is informed of the results, and take steps to reduce exposure as recommended by the medical professional. Employers must follow the medical surveillance and follow-up procedures specified in the standard. See 1915.1053 and the medical provisions in 1910.1053.

Yes. Contractors performing work in shipyards that may expose employees to respirable crystalline silica are covered and must comply with the standard’s requirements—including exposure assessment, controls, training, respiratory protection, and recordkeeping—for their employees. Host employers and contractors should coordinate to ensure exposures are controlled and employees are informed of hazards. See 1915.1053 and the responsibilities reflected in 1910.1053.

Employers must apply appropriate emergency procedures to protect employees during unexpected high‑exposure events, using available engineering controls, work practices, and respiratory protection as needed, and must include emergency response measures in their exposure control plan. After an emergency, employers should assess exposures and take any needed corrective actions. See 1915.1053 and the response and planning provisions in 1910.1053.

Compressed air may not be used for cleaning silica dust unless it is used with effective local exhaust ventilation or other engineering controls that prevent dust from becoming airborne; otherwise employers must use methods such as HEPA‑filtered vacuums or wet cleaning. This restriction helps prevent generation and spread of respirable crystalline silica. See 1915.1053 and the housekeeping provisions in 1910.1053.

When respirators are required, employers must implement a written respiratory protection program that includes selection, medical evaluation, fit testing, cleaning, maintenance, employee training, and program evaluation consistent with the respirator requirements adopted in 1910.1053. See 1915.1053 for applicability to shipyard employment.