USG Corp., a manufacturer of building products and solutions, is raising awareness around Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s updated standards for silica dust exposure by offering commercial contractors and construction organizations a path to compliance with the aid of USG Sheetrock Brand Dust Control Joint Compound.

The timing is significant; OSHA’s new silica regulation is effective as of September 23, 2017. The OSHA rule substantially alters the employer’s obligation to protect their workers from respirable crystalline silica exposure, reducing the permissible exposure limit from 250 to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air, averaged over an 8-hour shift.

“Commercial jobsites can have a large amount of dust due to the nature of construction work,” said Joseph Adcock, Product Manager, Surfaces at USG. “USG Sheetrock Brand Dust Control Joint Compound offers customers a way to minimize the dust as it’s created when finishing walls.”

USG Sheetrock Brand Dust Control Joint Compound incorporates a patented technology that can help contractors with an easier path to comply with the new OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1153 Respirable Crystalline Silica regulation, because USG Sheetrock Brand Dust Control may be considered an engineering control under OSHA and NIOSH regulation.

USG Sheetrock Brand Dust Control Joint Compound creates less mess and offers contractors faster cleanup. It does this by binding up fine-sanding residue to form heavier particles that fall to the floor, helping reduce the amount of silica-laden dust floating in the air. Accordingly, contractors do not need to wet or vacuum sand to suppress dust. Additional benefits include:

• Contractors may not need to carry out industrial hygiene testing; an independent assessment of the product has shown it produces levels of total and respirable airborne dust below OSHA’s new permissible exposure limits.

• While several factors must be considered, such as the size of a workspace or level of air exchange, USG Sheetrock Brand Dust Control Joint Compound can be an option for use in environments where cleanliness and indoor air quality are crucial, like schools, hospitals or large office spaces.

• USG Sheetrock Brand Dust Control Joint Compound has low-shrinkage and only requires two coats when used over metal.

USG Sheetrock Brand Dust Control Joint Compound is available now through distributors and retailers. For more information about USG Sheetrock Brand Dust Control Joint Compound, visit usg.com/dustcontrol.