Awareness Training Slides Skilled Trades DRAFT2 bc rwb

Respirable Crystalline Silica
Awareness Training for UAW-GM

Skilled Trades Workers

Live Values that Return People Home Safely
Every Person. Every Site. Every Day

Course Contents

Overview of UAW-GM WSS Technical Standard on
Respirable Crystalline Silica

What is Respirable Crystalline Silica?
Who is at risk of exposure?
GM Respirable Silica OEL & OSHA PEL
Health Effects from Inhaling Respirable Silica Particles
GM Skilled Trades Non-Foundry Tasks with Potential Silica

Exposures
Silica Exposure Control Plan for GM Skilled Trades Non-

Foundry Tasks with Potential Silica Exposures

Course Contents

Silica Exposure Samples for Skilled Trades Workers
Skilled Trades Silica Tasks to be Sampled
Exposure Controls for Tasks ≥ GM OEL of 0.025 mg/m3
Engineering Controls –

Drilling/Sawing into Solids Containing Silica Particles
Cleaning Up Silica-Containing Dust/Debris

Silica Exposure Controls - Silica OSHA Regulated Areas
GM Silica Medical Surveillance Exams
Skilled Trades Silica TISs

UAW-GM WSS Technical Standard 13-10
Respirable Crystalline Silica Assessment &

Control

Establish minimum requirements for a Respirable
Crystalline Silica Exposure Control Plan

Identify Skilled Trades non-foundry tasks with potential
exposures to respirable crystalline silica

Assess silica exposure risks
Control silica exposure sources
 Provide acceptable silica dust/debris housekeeping

measures

What is Respirable Crystalline Silica?

Silicon Dioxide 2nd Most common Major component of
crystals (SiO2) are mineral in Earth’s sand, granite &
mineral ores
tiny, hard, crust (27.7%)
translucent &
Respirable silica Particles are 100
colorless particles are very Times smaller than
small & invisible to
3 Main Forms naked eye (<4 µg) sand found at
Quartz (most beaches

common),
Cristobalite &

Tridymite

Who Is at Risk?

OSHA estimates 2.3 Simply being near sand
million individuals in or other silica-
the U.S. are exposed
containing materials is
to silica at work not hazardous

Silica hazard exists
when activities create
respirable silica dust
which is then released
into the air & inhaled in
sufficient quantities

Who Is at Risk?

Any occupation involving the
following could result in
respirable silica exposure

Drilling, cutting, or
handling of concrete,
brick, sand or rock

Sweeping up sand/silica
debris

Opening bags of dry
products containing silica

GM Respirable Silica OEL & OSHA PEL

OSHA Legal Permissible GM Occupational
Exposure Limit (PEL)
Exposure Limit (OEL)
0.05 mg/m3, as an 8-hour 0.025 mg/m3, as 8-
time-weighted average air
hour TWA
concentration (TWA)

Action Level – 50%
of OEL or PEL

• Exposure ≥AL requires action to reduce
silica exposures to prevent exposures
• ≥OEL or ≥PEL

Health Effects from Inhaling Silicosis - incurable
Respirable Silica Particles scarring of the lungs
which can lead to
Silicotic vs Normal Lung disability & death

Typically occurs
after 15-20 years of
silica exposure

Makes lungs hard &
stiff, lose their
elasticity

Greatly reduces
lungs ability for
O2/CO2 exchange

Makes it difficult &
painful to breathe

There is no cure for
silicosis

Health Effects from
Inhaling Respirable Silica

Particles

Lung Cancer
Chronic obstruction

pulmonary disease (COPD)

Blocks movement of air into
& out of the lungs

Includes emphysema,
chronic bronchitis, & chronic
airway obstruction

Kidney disease, such as kidney
failure

UAW-GM Skilled Trades Non-Foundry
Tasks with Potential Silica Exposure

Key to preventing silica
diseases is to prevent
silica-containing dust
from entering the air

GM Skilled Trades Non-Foundry
Tasks with Potential Silica
Exposure

Never rely on the dust
you see in the air to
determine your silica
exposure level

GM Skilled Trades Non-
Foundry Tasks with

Potential Silica Exposure

Action Level (AL)
concentrations of respirable
silica, 0.0125 mg/m3, may be
in the air without seeing a
visible dust cloud

Respirable silica dust is not
visible to the naked eye

Respirable size particles
are very small & invisible to
the naked eye - <4 µm

GM Skilled Trades Non-Foundry Tasks
with Potential Silica Exposure

One gram of respirable crystalline
silica sand (equivalent to contents
of an artificial sweetener packet)
would generate a worker exposure
level above the OSHA PEL (0.050
mg/m3) when released into the air
space the size of a football field 13
feet above the field

Silica Exposure Control Plan for GM Skilled
Trades Non-Foundry Tasks with Potential
Silica Exposures

Identify Skilled Trades Worker Similar Exposure
Groups (SEGs) tasks with potential respirable silica
exposures

Regional IHs will work with UAW IHTs to develop &
implement a respirable silica personal air sampling
plan for skilled trades workers during tasks
generating airborne respirable silica particles

Silica Exposure Samples for Skilled
Trades Workers

Collect personal air samples to
measure risks of workers being
exposed to silica ≥GM Action Level
(AL) of 0.0125 mg/m3

Control silica exposures for workers
exposed ≥GM OEL of 0.025 mg/m3 to a
level ≤GM AL 0.0125 mg/m3

Skilled Trades Silica Tasks to be Sampled

Cutting/Drilling/Anchoring
into Concrete/Ceramic/Grout

Sand/Concrete Dust
Cleanup

Concrete/Brick/Wallboard
Tear Out Activities

Abrasive Sanding/Scarifying
Concrete Floors

Skilled Trades Silica
Tasks to be Sampled

Installation of Concrete Blocks
Jackhammering into Concrete

Blocks/Bricks/Floors
Opening bags containing dry silica-

containing materials
Cleaning up silica debris
Any other task that would create a

dust cloud or disturb any silica-
containing materials

Exposure Implement Engineering, Work Practice,
Controls for Housekeeping & PPE Controls

Tasks Must maintain exposures between GM AL
≥GM OEL of of 0.0125 mg/m3 & <GM OEL of
0.025mg/m3 0.025 mg/m3

When we don’t know exposure levels (i.e. too
short a time to measure) or exposure controls do

not lower levels, must supplement them with
respiratory protection with P100 (HEPA) filters

Engineering Must use control methods to
Controls for minimize/eliminate airborne respirable silica
dust during drilling/sawing into solid
Drilling or structures containing silica particles, such
Sawing into as concrete floors, concrete pads, cement
blocks, bricks. etc.
Solids
Containing Use saws & drills that have continuous water
feeds when in operation
Silica
Particles Use saws & drilla with a protective shroud
(hood) accompanied by a dust
collection/HEPA P100 filter attachment

Cleaning Up Silica-
Containing Dust or Debris

Must be cleaned up using
either a vacuum with HEPA
filtration (P100) or a wet
method

Dry cleaning is prohibited - Air
wands, brooms, shoveling, or
any tool that can create a "dust
cloud" cannot be used

Silica Exposure Areas with Silica temporary
Controls - exposures ≥0.05 regulated areas
used for short-
OSHA Silica mg/m3 (OSHA
Regulated Areas PEL) must be time skilled
classified as an trades work
OSHA Silica
Regulated Areas

Entrances & Access
accesses must restricted to
be posted with Authorized
warning signs Personnel only

OSHA Silica Regulated
Areas

GM/OSHA require all
entrants to wear a
NIOSH-approved
filtering facepiece or
half/full face respirator
with P100 filters

Workers may use a
hooded PAPR with P100
filters

GM Silica Available for each worker Only If
Medical Exposed to respirable crystalline
Surveillance silica ≥GM OEL of 0.025 mg/m3 for
Exams ≥30 days/year

Exams must follow the GM Health
Services MED-6.6 Respirable
Crystalline Silica Exam (Silica
Exam)

Exam purpose is to find disease or
increased sensitivity to silica
exposure

Skilled Trades 4 TISs developed by Team of
Silica Task GM Global Regional
Information Industrial Hygienists

Sheets (TISs) To be distributed to all GM
Sites

Skilled Trades TISs for Each of the Following
Silica Task Skilled Trades Tasks
Information
Drilling/Sawing/Grinding solid
Sheets (TISs) structures containing silica

Opening/pouring containers of
dry material containing silica

Cleaning up respirable crystalline
silica-containing dust/debris

Removal of all filter types on any
piece of equipment (i.e. vacuum,
drill, saw, baghouse, dust
collector) used to control/capture
respirable silica-containing dust

Questions?