What are silica work practice controls?

Work practice controls involve performing a task in a way that reduces the likelihood or levels of exposure. Work practice controls are often used with engineering controls to protect employees. Employees must know the appropriate work practices for maximizing the effectiveness of controls and minimizing exposures.

Examples of work practice controls include:

• Inspecting and maintaining controls to prevent or fix malfunctions that would result in increased exposures,
• Ensuring that tools with wet controls spray water at the point of dust generation,
• Positioning local exhaust hoods directly over the exposure source and not opening windows near the local exhaust source,
• Wetting down silica dust before sweeping it up, and
• Scheduling work so that tasks that involve high exposures are performed when no other employees are in the area.