NRMCA Submits Comments In Opposition to OSHA Silica Rule

On Tuesday, NRMCA submitted comments in opposition to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) proposed rulemaking "Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica". On September 12, 2013 OSHA published in the Federal Register, a proposal, in part, to reduce by half the current allowable exposure limits for "respirable" crystalline silica. 

NRMCA comments on the proposal stated that, "while NRMCA and its members support and agree with the necessity for having and maintaining a silica standard to protect American workers’ safety and health, the ready mixed concrete industry disagrees with the need to change the current silica standard and permissible exposure limit. As current data shows, the silica regulations currently in place have worked extremely well at protecting workers in the ready mixed concrete industry and continue to do so today. The continued compliance with and enforcement of current silica regulations, engineering controls, and proper protective equipment use, properly and effectively limit worker silica exposure and result in downward trends of U.S. silicosis rates. Furthermore, the ready mixed concrete industry goes to great lengths to protect its workers from silica exposure by understanding the industry hazards, and by understanding the industry worker makeup; two critical elements necessary for safeguarding a set of workers and both of which OSHA has entirely characterized incorrectly for the ready mixed concrete industry in its proposal."

NRMCA’s comments ended by requesting "OSHA abandon its proposal and give greater deference to its current silica standard enforcement procedures and actions." The proposed rule, factsheets, frequently asked questions (FAQs) and more can be found here.