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Applying Your Knowledge:
Comparing to the
Limit |
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small-business owners have taken advantage of OSHA's Advisor Genius to calculate the
amount of silica exposure and the permissible exposure limit based on air samples
collected at their respective work sites. The numbers generated by the Advisor
Genius are as follows: |
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Owner 1 |
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Owner 2 |
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Owner 3 |
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PEL
(mg/m3) |
Exposure |
Severity |
PEL
(mg/m3) |
Exposure |
Severity |
PEL
(mg/m3) |
Exposure |
Severity |
| 0.75 |
0.33 |
0.47 |
.91 |
1.8 |
2.0 |
1.6 |
1.6 |
1.0 |
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| Who has the most
serious silica hazard and who needs to implement some control to protect his workers? |
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Owner
3
Owner 3's is NOT the most serious hazard. The exposure amount of 1.6 is
right at the limit of 1.6. Although he has not exceeded the PEL, Owner 3 should take
corrective measures to reduce silica exposures in order to improve his workers' health and
to insure that his workplace does not exceed the PEL. He also needs to provide his workers
with the sampling results, if requested. Try
again |
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Owner
1
No. At 0.33 mg/m3, this exposure amount is half of the
permissible limit of 0.75 mg/m3. He does need to provide his
workers with the sampling results, if requested. In order to improve his workers' health
he may want to implement voluntary control measures. Try
again. |
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Owner
2
Correct. The exposure amount of 1.8 is well over the limit of 0.91. In
fact, it's twice as much. Owner 2 needs to take immediate action to protect his
employees and plan for long-term corrective and preventive measures. He must train
his workers in the hazards of silica and must provide the sampling results, if requested. |
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