Reminder: OSHA will begin enforcement on its crystalline silica standard Saturday, Sept. 23.

The agency said it plans to offer compliance assistance in the first 30 days to employers who are making a "good faith effort" to comply with the new rule, with a particular emphasis on helping employers use the new Table 1 way of measuring exposure levels. OSHA said that if, during an inspection, it finds that an employer is not attempting to comply with the rule, the agency's inspection will then include both:

• a collection of exposure air monitoring, and
• the possibility of a citation, which will be reviewed by OSHA's national office if it is from this inspection period.

For your convenience, Construction Equipment Guide has compiled a list of the silica standard's requirements, including an overview of Table 1 here.