A final rule issued on March 24 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration reduces the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for respirable crystalline silica. The measure aims to protect workers from lung cancer, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and kidney disease.
The rule is controversial but long awaited by unions, which contend that too many workers become sick or die each year as a result of exposure to silica dust on construction sites.