Free Webinar: Preventing Exposure to Silica Dust
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is offering a free webinar for stone countertop fabrication employers
If your company is cutting, grinding, sanding, or installing stone products, you need to know about the dangers of silica dust and how to protect your employees from severe and fatal lung disease.
Crystalline silica is found in granite, artificial/engineered stone, and other stone products. When workers cut, grind, drill, or polish these materials, very small particles of silica dust get in the air. Breathing in these very small (“respirable”) crystalline silica particles can cause irreversible scarring in the lungs, trouble breathing, permanent disability, and death. Silica dust can also cause lung cancer, kidney damage, and autoimmune disease.
The formal description of this event is “Working safely with natural and engineered stone products: Controlling worker exposure to silica dust during countertop manufacturing, finishing, and installation.”
Event Information: This webinar will describe the dangers of silica exposure, employer requirements to comply with OSHA’s Respirable Crystalline Silica Rule, and methods employers can use to protect workers.
Register to attend the free webinar to learn about:
- Hazards of silica dust
- Information on new standards
- Tips on protecting workers from inhaling silica dust.
The presenters include:
Amy Heinzerling, MD, CA Department of Public Health Occupational Health Branch will present health problems caused by silica exposure.
Jonathan Mitnick, Vice President and managing partner at CCS Stone, Inc. and David Scott, Owner of Slabworks of Montana will provide practical tips on controlling worker exposure to silica dust.
Jonathan Bearr, PhD, Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will present OSHA Respirable Crystalline Silica Rule requirements.
Patrick Corcoran, MPH, CIH, California OSHA and Chaolong Qi, PhD, PE, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will present methods to protect employees from silica dust.
A Q & A session will follow the webinar. To register, visit www.naturalstoneinstitute.org/NIOSH .
For more information, contact occhealth@cdph.ca.gov .