Silica in General Industry – 1910.1053
About 1.85 million workers are currently exposed to respirable crystalline silica in construction workplaces. Over 640,000 of these workers are estimated to be exposed to silica levels that exceed OSHA's proposed permissible exposure limit (PEL).
Industries and operations in which exposure to crystalline silica can occur include, but are not limited to; construction, glass products, pottery products, structural clay products, concrete products, foundries, dental laboratories, paintings and coatings, jewelry production, refractory products, ready-mix concrete, cut stone and stone products, refractory installation and repair, railroad track maintenance, hydraulic fracturing for gas and oil, and abrasive blasting in maritime work, construction, and general industry.