From Glenn:
Hello Roundtable folks,
The next CSREM Roundtable meeting is Tuesday, October 10th at 10:00. This month’s topic is the new Silica Standard that went into effect 09/23/17. Yes, the agency said it will not begin issuing fines and citations for another 30 days. The Roundtable has had this standard explained to us twice now once March 2016 by Susan Shepherd (State view) and again on December 2016 by Bob Kunz (contractors view). This month’s speaker is Lisa J. Sullivan, Regional Industrial Hygienist, USDOL – OSHA, Region 1 (will present the Federal view).
Member of the Roundtable will learn about OSHA’s new standard for Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica. The dangers and health risks of silica exposure will be described, and the requirements for Construction will be explained. The phase-in period and effective dates for various aspects of the standard will be covered during Lisa’s presentation.
This is not just a review of the Standard. The rule reduces acceptable exposure limits to airborne silica and requires a written plan, training and, in some cases, medical monitoring to manage the dust. Lisa is prepared to answer the tough questions i.e. as they pertain to:
- Medical Surveillance. Do I just create a form outlining the reason for the medical surveillance and have any person who would be potentially wearing a respirator more than 30 days annually sign it stating either yes or no to the exam? Or do I offer it to all of the guys that we have fit tested regularly? We do have a core group of guys that work with asbestos that have received chest x-rays, would they be covered under this as well since they do wear respirators?
- Respirators. When fit testing is to be completed and the 30 day requirement and the medical surveillance that is to take place. When does a chest x-ray take place and can the person refuse that? Additionally my biggest question is what if a person wears the respirator for 20 minutes one day is that considered a day? How are you counting the thirty days – is it 8 hours or is it just use in a day? There appears to be two interpretations of the time clock. What do you do if an employee leave for a period of time and comes back? What do you do if a worker wears their respirators one week then don’t use it again for a month how do you monitor that is it thirty consecutive days or any thirty days? The “30 days” in a year of respirator use is unclear. Does this mean that if worn for 30 separate days this applies? Or does it mean that 240 hours of respirator use in a year?
- Medical Examinations – chest X-ray requires a B- reader, there is a physical exam, there is a pulmonary function test required and a TB test which requires a second medical visit because they have to read the test two days later.
This month’s meeting is being sponsored by Nancy Hughes of OHS Training & Consulting Inc & Glenn Narrow of Greenwood Industries and hosted by Dan Lavoie of Liberty Mutual. Meeting is being held at Liberty Mutual Conference Center, Riverside Office Park, 20 Riverside Road, Weston, MA 02493. If ya get lost, call Nancy on her cell phone # 617-959-4414.
ADDITIONALLY: As you know, we renewed our OSHA Alliance September 01, 2017 at last month’s meeting. The new Alliance Agreement will be available at this month’s meeting for those of you who could not attend last month’s Alliance renewal resigning ceremonies.
As customary, please RSVP to Nancy Hughes of OHS Training & Consulting Inc. at nancy.ohstc@gmail.com, by noontime this Friday October 6th to insure we have planned security badging, accurate head count for the luncheon and correct seating arrangements for this meeting. It is pretty simple, if you don’t RSVP, we will not spend our valuable time leaving Lisa’s presentation to vouch for folks held up at the security desk who did not bother to reply to this invitation of their planned attendance.