Stucco Manufacturers Association Executive Director Mark Fowler joined W&C at BUILD23 to discuss the SMA’s efforts to help contractors with written exposure plans for silica dust.

Silica dust has become a big issue in the stucco industry since OSHA released new regulations for it in 2017. Exposure to silica dust adds up over time and can lead to cancer, so protecting workers from those effects is very important.

The SMA’s efforts go a long way toward protecting workers, as they give you the information and documents you need to satisfy OSHA requirements, as well as easy access to the information through their website.

“[Contractors] get a silica compliance number,” Fowler said. “They are part of a program. Because then we offer compliance competent person training, we offer certificates, we do all the training like that, but they’re enrolled in the program and they get a compliance number.”