Durability + Design News: Federal workplace regulators have issued a long-awaited rule aimed at protecting workers from respirable silica dust exposure.
The new regulation requires employers to cut worker exposures in half in general industry and by five times in the construction field, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Thursday (March 24).
"More than 80 years ago, Labor Secretary Frances Perkins identified silica dust as a deadly hazard and called on employers to fully protect workers," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez.
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On my first day of sculpture, my teacher went over how to clean up the studio properly. He stressed the importance of wiping down all the surfaces because when the clay dries and turns to dust, it is full of silica, and the air ends up full of silica dust. He told us about silicosis and said that, given our exposure, we didn’t have to worry about it, but he was exposed to it enough that he probably did. A couple years later, I ended up learning to mix glaze from scratch, which involved pure silica powder, and therefore a particulate respirator. Silica may seem pretty harmless, but it is dangerous stuff. Despite the cost, I do think these dust controls are important. We shouldn’t be letting people die of silicosis when we already have the technology to properly limit silica exposure. And given that the protections haven’t been updated since 1971, it is really about time.
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