To prevent serious and fatal silicosis, your contractor must follow the following guidelines:

Safe Work Practices

• They must use water supply systems without exception.
• Properly handle all waste materials.
• Ensure that workers do not use compressed air, dry sweep, move equipment over dry dust or debris, and do not rotate machinery to reduce dust exposure.

Respiratory Protection

• They must ensure that workers receive adequate respiratory protection and are trained in the use of the equipment.
• Ensure they receive proper fit testing and medical evaluation for respiratory protection.
• Wear a tight-fitting, full-face respirator approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), or an equally protective alternative.
• Use a loose-fitting powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR), a half-face tight-fitting PAPR, a full-face non-powered air-purifying respirator, or an equivalent protective alternative if the contractor has demonstrated that airborne exposures are always below the action level.
• Use an organic vapor cartridge for artificial masonry, with certain exceptions.
• Use a supplied-air respirator under certain conditions.

Safe Cleaning

• They must use safe cleaning methods that do not generate dust in the air, without exception.

Training and Communication

• They must provide training and information in a language that all employees understand.
• Post signs in English and Spanish when entering certain regulated areas, indicating that respirable crystalline silica causes permanent lung damage and death.

• Train employees on the symptoms of exposure to respirable crystalline silica and how to prevent exposures.
• Encourage reporting of symptoms of exposure to respirable crystalline silica without fear of retaliation. This means that it is illegal for a contractor to reduce hours or fire a worker for reporting safety issues at work.

Exposure Advice

• Conduct exposure monitoring at least every 12 months to evaluate the effectiveness of exposure controls.

Regulated Areas

• Contractors must ensure that workers perform all “high exposure trigger tasks” in a clearly designated area, with signs warning of the dangers of respirable crystalline silica.

Imminent Dangers

• Cal/OSHA will suspend work at a business by issuing an Order Prohibiting Use (OPU) when dry operations are observed.
• Cal/OSHA may issue an OPU when violations are found related to prohibited activities, respiratory protection, silicosis reports, and carcinogen reports.
• All workers have the right to file a confidential complaint with Cal/OSHA about safety and health risks in the California workplace.

Silicosis Reports

• Contractors must report employees with confirmed silicosis or lung cancer to Cal/OSHA and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).
• Health care providers hired by contractors to test their employees must report confirmed cases of silicosis to Cal/OSHA.