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Three 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:

  Owner 1     Owner 2     Owner 3  
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

Who has the most serious silica hazard and who needs to implement some control to protect his workers?

Owner 1            Owner 2            Owner 3
















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





























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





























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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