A coalition of construction industry groups is concerned
about a proposed rule from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
that’s intended to protect workers from inhaling dust containing silica,
created by activities such as cutting brick or block, and sawing, grinding or
drilling concrete.
“The MCAA is very concerned about the safety and well being
of our workforce. So much so, that we led
an effort to develop a standard on workplace silica six years ago which
implements some of what this standard calls for. There are, however, serious concerns with the
reduction of the PEL. From 1968 to 2007,
the incidence of silicosis has been reduced by 93 percent. We have serious doubts that a further
reduction of the PEL will impact those numbers," says Jeff Buczkiewicz, president, MCAA.
John Smith Jr., MCAA Chairman, adds, “Our jobsites are very different than a factory
setting. Conditions on our sites can
change instantly. If the wind changes
speed or direction, it can impact monitoring of silica exposure."
Announced Aug. 23 in a press conference that outlined few
details, the proposed rule seems to call for one-size-fits-all measures that
contradict existing safety and quality assurance practices for different types
of contractors. Independent studies have estimated costs for construction
industry compliance will well exceed $1 billion per year.
MCAA is part of a Construction Industry Safety Coalition that is seeking a feasible and cost-effective crystalline silica regulation
to improve safety and health protection measures for workers. The coalition
represents thousands of employers working to protect hundreds of thousands of
workers in home building, road repair, heavy industrial production, specialty
trades and materials supply.
It was formed to encourage OSHA to develop better choices
for compliance with the construction-specific silica rule: alternatives that
also address costs, consistency with existing federal regulations and do not
overly burden small businesses.
Construction Industry Safety Coalition members include:
· AssociatedGeneral Contractors (AGC)
(ICE)
No comments:
Post a Comment