The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released a new FAQ document in an effort to better explain its standards for respirable crystalline silica in industrial applications.

OSHA worked with industry and union representatives to create the FAQ, which outlines things like permissible exposure limits (PEL), required medical exams and when to asses employee exposure levels.  Currently, the PEL sits at 50 micrograms of silica per cubic meter of air averaged over an 8-hour workday.

The rules for exposure were initially published by OSHA in 2016.  Those in general industry and maritime applications were given until mid-2018 to comply with the standard.  Hydraulic fracking operations have until mid-2021 to comply.

You can view the FAQ here.