OSHA Delays Silica Standard Enforcement

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has announced a delay in enforcement of the crystalline silica standard that applies to the construction industry to conduct additional outreach and provide educational materials

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has announced a delay in enforcement of the crystalline silica standard that applies to the construction industry to conduct additional outreach and provide educational materials and guidance for employers.

According to a press release, the agency has determined that additional guidance is necessary due to the unique nature of the requirements in the construction standard. Originally scheduled to begin June 23, 2017, enforcement will now begin Sept. 23, 2017.

OSHA expects employers in the construction industry to continue to take steps either to come into compliance with the new permissible exposure limit, or to implement specific dust controls for certain operations as provided in Table 1 of the standard. Construction employers should also continue to prepare to implement the standard’s other requirements, including exposure assessment, medical surveillance and employee training.

A Polished Concrete Specification is Coming

Last month I attended the ACI Spring Convention in Detroit, Mich. The meeting, which is held twice a year is always an interesting and educational experience. While the ACI meetings are generally informative in nature, they offer me the opportunity to sit on committee meetings to listen and learn about what a specific committee is working on.

Of the several meetings I sat in, one in particular interested me the most. ACI 310-0J Polished Finishes is a sub-committee of ACI 310 Decorative Concrete and is tasked with creating a specification for polished concrete. The committee began the arduous task of creating the specification last year and has since made some significant progress.

I’m pleased to report the committee has created a rough draft document, that when completed and approved, concrete polishers will have a specification to follow when a polished concrete finish is specified. While there is still much work to be done such a specification will help concrete polishers perform the work in a consistent manner.

We will continue to follow the progress of this much needed specification and report our findings to you.

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