Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 004D 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 about January 7, 2021, employees working in the polishing area and the fabrication area were exposed to respirable crystalline silica in excess of the 8-hour time weighted average limit (TWA) for the permissible exposure limit: a. A Polisher employee performing granite polishing duties was exposed to an 8-hour TWA for respirable crystalline quartz silica of 104 micrograms per cubic meter air during a 484 minute sampling period. This exposure level was 2.08 times the permissible exposure limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter air. b. A Fabricator employee performing granite fabricating duties was exposed to an 8-hour TWA for respirable crystalline quartz silica of 231 micrograms per cubic meter air during a 449 minute sampling period. This exposure level was 4.62 times the permissible exposure limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter air. Zero exposure was assumed for the 31 minutes that were not sampled.