Know the Hazard

Workers may be exposed to dangerous levels of silica dust when cutting, drilling, grinding, or otherwise disturbing materials that contain silica. These materials and tasks are common on construction and oil and gas jobs. Breathing that dust can lead to serious, often fatal illnesses. This section contains information that workers – and contractors – need to know to recognize the hazard, understand the risk factors, and work safely with silica.

Control the Dust

There are ways contractors can reduce the dust and reduce the hazard. This easy to use planning tool takes you step-by-step through conducting a job hazard analysis for silica, selecting appropriate controls, and creating a job-specific plan to eliminate or reduce silica hazards. You can save as a pdf, print and/or email your plan. Create-a-Plan