After more than a decade of study and review, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed a much tighter limit on how much airborne silica dust workers can be exposed to, a move that agency officials say will prevent hundreds of deaths and illnesses among construction workers each year.
The long-awaited proposal, which OSHA released on Aug. 23, has two parts: a new exposure limit and other requirements for the construction industry and a standard for maritime workers and other industries.