Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 004A Hazard:

29 CFR 1910.1053(f)(1): Methods of compliance-(1) Engineering and work practice controls. The employer shall use engineering and work practice controls to reduce and maintain employee exposure to respirable crystalline silica to or below the PEL, unless the employer can demonstrate that such controls are not feasible. Wherever such feasible engineering and work practice controls are not sufficient to reduce employee exposure to or below the PEL, the employer shall nonetheless use them to reduce employee exposure to the lowest feasible level and shall supplement them with the use of respiratory protection that complies with the requirements of paragraph (g) of this section. On or before February 11, 2025, an employee in the production area was exposed to respirable crystalline silica in excess of the 8-hour time weighted average limit (TWA) for the permissible exposure limit: a. An employee performing fabrication operations was exposed to an 8-hour TWA for respirable crystalline silica of 270 micrograms per cubic meter air during a 353 minute sampling period. This exposure level was 5.4 times the permissible exposure limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter air.