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Vermont Safety and Health Council to Hold Silica Safety Workshop on March 18

January 28, 2020

In this presentation VOSHA representatives will review the newly adopted rule regarding exposure to crystalline silica in construction and general industry, and will touch on the following topic areas: 

  • Understand the health hazards presented by the presence of Fractured Crystalline Silica, including routes of exposure and diseases caused by overexposure.
  • Understand methods of eliminating exposure, including engineering controls and personal protective equipment
  • Understand the VOSHA/OSHA Regulations concerning employees exposed to Fractured Crystalline Silica in the construction industry including penalty structure for noncompliance
  • Understanding action levels and permissible exposure limits as outlined in the VOSHA regulation
  • Top 10 Citations and Areas of Emphasis: VOSHA Program Manager Dan Whipple will review the list for Region 1 and the State of Vermont

 

DATE:  Wednesday, March 18, 2020

TIME:  9:00 AM to 1:00 PM with Lunch included (doors open at 8:30 AM)

LOCATION:  At the Lyndonville Public Safety Building at the Lyndonville Fire Department in Lyndonville, VT 316 Main Street, Lyndonville, VT 05851

PARKING: Available across the street from the Public Safety Building at the old Kennametal building

 

AGENDA

9:00 AM – Welcome and Introductions 
9:10 AM – Speakers: Dan Whipple, OHST, VOSHA Program Manager and Karl Hayden, CSHO, VOSHA Senior Compliance and Investigation Officer
12:15 PM - Lunch and Networking

 

To register, visit https://www.vshc.net/events/the-silica-standard-for-general-industry-and-construction/ or contact Shauna Clifford with the NEK Chapter at shauna.clifford@vermont.gov or 802-751-0213.,

Please Note:  Pre-registration required by or before March 14, 2020 so we can order the correct amount of food!  Thanks. Registration is FREE for VSHC Members, and $30 for Non-Members. Fee includes lunch and morning refreshments.

 

IMPORTANCE OF SILICA SAFETY:

It is estimated that 50,000 to 60,000 people each year die from exposure to the harmful effects of toxic and hazardous substances in their workplace. A large proportion of these people die as a result of respiratory diseases, such as silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer, related to exposure to crystalline silica. This is especially true in the construction industry.

Respirable crystalline silica – very small particles at least 100 times smaller than ordinary sand you might find on beaches and playgrounds – is created when cutting, sawing, grinding, drilling, and crushing stone, rock, concrete, brick, block, and mortar. Activities such as abrasive blasting with sand; sawing brick or concrete; sanding or drilling into concrete walls; grinding mortar; manufacturing brick, concrete blocks, stone countertops, or ceramic products; and cutting or crushing stone result in worker exposures to respirable crystalline silica dust. Industrial sand used in certain operations, such as foundry work and hydraulic fracturing (fracking), is also a source of respirable crystalline silica exposure. About 2.3 million people in the U.S. are exposed to silica at work.