Who is allowed in regulated areas?

Access restrictions limit the number of persons who may enter, or walk, or drive vehicles through areas where exposures exceed the PEL. These restrictions protect employees who would otherwise be exposed when needlessly spending time in, or passing through, the regulated area.

Employers must limit access to regulated areas to:

• Persons authorized by the employer and required by work duties to be present in the regulated area. This includes persons whose work is with or near the respirable crystalline silica-producing materials, but may also include maintenance and repair personnel, management, quality control engineers, or other employees if their job duties require them to be in the regulated area;
• Any person entering the area as a designated representative of employees to observe silica exposure monitoring; or
• Any person authorized by OSHA to be in a regulated area (e.g., OSHA enforcement personnel).