What is the written silica exposure control plan?

Employers covered by the standard must develop and implement a written exposure control plan. This plan describe workplace exposures and ways to reduce those exposures, such as engineering controls, work practices, and housekeeping methods. The written exposure control plan improves employee protections by making sure that employers identify all exposures and controls to prevent overexposures. It is also useful for letting employees know what kind of protections they should expect to see on the job.

Employers must establish and implement a written exposure control plan that contains at least these elements:

• A list and description of the tasks in the workplace that involve exposure to silica;
• A description of the engineering controls, work practices, and respiratory protection used to limit employee exposure to silica for each task. For each task that employees perform, employers must describe types of controls used, like:
  • Enclosures;
  • Effective work practices, as in checking the enclosure for leaks;
  • If required, appropriate respiratory protection, like a respirator with an Assigned Protection Factor (APF) of 10; and
  • Signs that controls are not working effectively, such as an increase in visible dust or no water being delivered to the material.
• A description of the housekeeping measures used to limit employee exposure to silica; and
• A description of the procedures used to restrict access to work areas, when necessary, to minimize the number of employees exposed to silica and their level of exposure, including exposures generated by other employers or sole proprietors.