1. Elevated exposures to respirable crystalline silica among engineered stone fabrication workers in California, January 2019–February 2020
- Author
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Krishna Surasi, Brittany Ballen, Justine L. Weinberg, Barbara L. Materna, Robert Harrison, Kristin J. Cummings, and Amy Heinzerling
- Subjects
Inhalation Exposure ,Occupational Exposure ,Silicosis ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Humans ,Dust ,Silicon Dioxide ,Workplace ,California - Abstract
Workers fabricating engineered stone face high risk for exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) and subsequent development of silicosis. In response, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) performed targeted enforcement inspections at engineered stone fabrication worksites. We investigated RCS exposures and employer adherence to Cal/OSHA's RCS and respiratory protection standards from these inspections to assess ongoing risk to stone fabrication workers.We extracted employee personal air sampling results from Cal/OSHA inspection files and calculated RCS exposures. Standards require that employers continue monitoring employee RCS exposures and perform medical surveillance when exposures are at or above the action level (AL; 25 μg/mWe analyzed RCS exposures for 152 employees at 47 workplaces. Thirty-eight (25%) employees had exposures above the PEL (median = 89.7 μg/mOur investigation demonstrates widespread RCS overexposure among workers and numerous employer Cal/OSHA standard violation citations. More enforcement and educational efforts could improve employer compliance with Cal/OSHA standards and inform employers and employees of the risks for RCS exposure and strategies for reducing exposure.
- Published
- 2022
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