Create-A-Plan to Control the Dust

Option 2 – Check the Safety Data Sheet

OSHA's Respirable crystalline silica standard for the construction industry - 29 CFR 1926.1153 - paragraph (i)(1) Hazard communication states: "The employer shall include respirable crystalline silica in the program established to comply with the hazard communiction standard (HCS) (29 CFR 1910.1200).  The employer shall ensure that each employee has access to labels on containers of crystalline silica and safety data sheets, and is trained in accordance with the provisions of HCS and paragrapch (i)(2) of this section.  The employer shall ensure that at least the following hazards are addressed: Cancer, lung effects, immune system effects, and kidney effects." 

HCS requires manufacturers or producers of materials, which contain a chemical that can cause health or physical hazards, to make users aware of the potential hazard(s) through safety data sheets (also referred to as material safety data sheets). 

For silica, the Standard requires safety data sheets for materials containing “crystalline silica in quantities greater than 0.1%...” and employers are responsible for ensuring that employees have “access to safety data sheets for all hazardous materials at the workplace.”

Update to the Standard …. In March 2012, OSHA revised the Hazard Communication Standard to align it with the United Nations' global chemical labeling system.  Under the revised Standard, manufacturers, distributors, and importers are required to present Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) in a “consistent user-friendly, 16-section format.”   Sections 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 and 15 are the key sections for determining silica content:

  • Section 1 – Identification –the chemical, contact information for the manufacturer, importer or other responsible party, and recommended use of the chemical.
  • Section 2 – Hazard(s) identification – the hazards the chemical presents and warning information.
  • Section 3 – composition/information on ingredients – includes the “chemical name and concentration (i.e., the exact percentage) of all ingredients which are classified as health hazards and are present above their cut-off/concentration limits or present a health risk below the cut-off/concentration limits.”
  • Section 4 – First-aid measures
  • Section 5 – Fire-fighting measures
  • Section 6 – Accidental release measures
  • Section 7 – Handling and storage
  • Section 8 – Exposure controls/personal protection
  • Section 9 – Physical and chemical properties
  • Section 10 – Stability and reactivity
  • Section 11 – Toxicological information
  • Section 12 – Ecological information (non-mandatory)
  • Section 13 – Disposal considerations (non-mandatory)
  • Section 14 –Transport information (non-mandatory)
  • Section 15 – Regulatory information (non-mandatory)
  • Section 16 – Other information – when the SDS was prepared, last revision , etc.

Note:  Workers doing maintenance, renovation, or repair work may be required to work with existing, already installed materials for which no Safety Data Sheets are available.  In this situation, it is the employer’s responsibility to make sure the workers are safe and made aware of hazards as required under CFR 1926.20.  In addition, it is their responsibility under Subpart C to determine whether materials pose hazards.  Until that determination is made, when working with materials known to contains silica, such as mortars, cement, concrete or grout, if possible, engineering controls should be used to avoid generating dust. If not, wear respiratory protection. 

To learn more about the SDS-related changes:

To learn how to read Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) developed before the change in the Standard watch the video:

To find Safety Data Sheets/MSDS online:

There are several sources available on the Internet for Safety Data Sheets, including ones that contain information on the different formats, how to read them, and where to find copies for specific products:

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