Contracting firms that can demonstrate they are attempting to comply with a new federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration limit on silica dust levels in construction workplaces will have a 30-day grace period before they are hit with penalties.
OSHA did begin enforcing the construction silica regulation on Sept. 23. But Thomas Galassi, Labor Dept. acting deputy assistant secretary, said in a Sept. 20 memo to regional OSHA administrators that, for 30 days, the agency’s compliance officers will not issue penalties to employers that demonstrate a “good faith effort” to meet the new requirements.