IT’S TIME FOR CONTRACTORS TO TAKE THE SAFETY RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR JOB SERIOUSLY. EDUCATE YOURSELF ON THE HAZARDS OF SILICA—YOUR LUNGS WILL THANK YOU.
Every day, thousands of individuals wake up and prepare for work “at the shop” or on the jobsite. They head out to tear-off and install a high-performance slate roof system, or perhaps they make their way into the city to finish off the drywall work for a 2,000 square foot luxury hotel. Whatever their day may have in store for them, contractors need to take some time to get serious about their respiratory safety.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have identified exposure to silica as a health hazard to workers involved in finishing and installing natural and manufactured stone products, both in fabrication shops and during on-site finishing/installation. This hazard can be mitigated with simple and effective dust controls in most operations.¹