DOL Agencies Publish Silica Hazard Alert

OSHA and NIOSH have issued a hazard alert to ensure that employers protect workers in hydraulic fracturing operations against silica exposure. The alert was published in response to results of a study that identified overexposure to silica as a health hazard to workers in such operations.

The study, conducted by NIOSH in cooperation with oil and gas industry partners, sampled the air at 11 sites in five states where hydraulic fracturing operations were taking place. Researchers identified seven primary sources of silica dust exposure during these operations and found that workers downwind of sand mover and blender operations, especially during hot loading, had the highest silica exposures. Workers exposed to silica every day are at greater risk of developing silicosis, which can cause inflammation and scarring of the lungs, lung cancer and other diseases.

The alert describes how a combination of engineering controls, work practices, protective equipment and product substitution, along with worker training, can protect workers exposed to silica.