January Chapter Meeting – Real Time Silica Monitoring

We are delighted to be joined by Corey Bender, CIH, CSP and 2019 NCC President’s Award Recipient Frank Trujillo for an informative look at an alternative method to silica compliance.

There are many commercial off the shelf (COTS) dust monitors available to the construction industry and many even advertise their utility for respirable silica. I suspect they aren’t being used more in the construction industry due to the cost, the technical nature and the hesitance of safety professionals to use them. I believe all three of these deterrents can be overcome. One of the most important impacts a direct-read, data logging dust monitor can provide is insulation against future workers comp claims. I am reminded of a tragedy that occurred at a casino based in Maryland which highlighted the concept of “The builders non delegable responsibility for actual compliance not merely regulatory approval has to be emphasized”. This session will demonstrate to employers how to build the case that they adequately managed the silica hazard at every workplace with an OSHA compliant silica competent person and “big data”/historical data gathered by a dust monitor supported by industrial hygiene practices and concepts. Compliance NIOSH7500/0600 data is not enough in the construction environment, not only is the sampling expensive and time consuming, that one data point generated by this method is often not enough information or is too limited in information. There are low-cost dust monitors available that can be put in the hands of every competent person to actually fulfill the OSHA mandate and give the employer a more clear and confident view of the dust and the liability at their worksites.

Objective: Demonstrate the use of a dust monitor validated for respirable silica measurements. The session will be conducted as if the presenter was training silica competent persons on how to use the dust monitor and how to document the efforts. Key concepts will be big data, granular data, behavioral change and the ability to triage situations. At the end of the session, participants will be able to see over the doubts and obstacles that deter the use of this powerful tool, real-time, reliable respirable silica concentration data. Participants will have the information they need to consider the potential at their worksites.

When: Thursday, January 23, 2020 from 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Where:  Miller and Long – Corporate Knowledge Center | 7101 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814

Please park at the Gray Long Term Montgomery County Public Parking Meters behind the Miller and Long Offices. The meeting location is also accessible via the Bethesda Metro Station | Red Line (.3 mile walk).

Cost: FREE!

Questions? email president@ncc.assp.org.