As a new study confirms that Silica is a human carcinogen, OSHA continues to work on new rules to protect workers from occupational exposure to crystalline silica

Exposure to silica significantly increases the risk of developing lung cancer according to a new study published in The American Journal of Epidemiology. The study measured cumulative silica exposure in a group of more than 30,000 workers over a 44-year period and demonstrated that silica is a human carcinogen. The study also suggests that current exposure limits in many countries might be insufficient to protect workers from lung cancer.

These findings are consistent with the preliminary risk assessment in OSHA’s new proposed rule to protect workers from occupational exposure to crystalline silica.