History of Silica Regulatory Efforts

A brief chronology of silica-related regulatory efforts since the early 1990s:

• 1994 and 1995: OSHA lists silica as a priority for rulemaking.
• 1996: OSHA creates a Special Emphasis Program to prevent silica exposure. The International Agency on Cancer Research (IARC), part of the World Health Organization (WHO), first recognizes silica as a known human carcinogen.
• 1997: OSHA lists silica on its Regulatory Agenda.
• 1998: OSHA's Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH) creates a Silica Work Group.
• 1999: OSHA holds its first Stakeholders' Meetings on silica.
• 2003: OSHA submits a review draft of the silica standard to a Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) panel.
• 2004: New Jersey enacts a law that specifically prohibits the dry cutting and dry grinding of masonry.
• 2008: The OSHA-certified state plan in California. referred to as Cal/OSHA, releases its standard titled 'Control of Employee Exposures from Dust-Generating Operations Conducted on Concrete or Masonry Materials.'
• 2011: OSHA submits a review draft of its proposed silica standard to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
• 2013: OSHA announces a proposed rule to protect workers from exposure to crystalline silica.
• March 2016: OSHA releases its final rule to protect workers from exposure to respirable crystalline silica.
• April 2017: OSHA delays enforcing crystalline silica standard in construction from June to September.
• September 2017: OSHA begins enforcing the silica standard for the construction industry.
• June 2018: OSHA begins enforcement of the respirable crystalline silica standard for general industry and maritime.

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