Mining Ventilation for MSHA Silica Standards
Tough Regulation? Count on IVI, Inc.
The Mining Health & Safety Administration (MSHA) published regulatory changes for mining facilities’ air quality related to respirable crystalline silica in April 2024, with changes taking effect June 17, 2024. According to MSHA, the regulation changes “the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for respirable crystalline silica to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air (µg/m3) for a full shift, calculated as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) for all miners.”
Meeting the new MSHA silica standard is no easy task. IVI stands ready to help. Our highly skilled team is proficient in designing respirable crystalline silica dust collection systems that help manufacturers meet MSHA silica exposure limits.
Understanding the MSHA Silica Exposure Limits
MSHA’s silica standard keeps workers safe, protecting them from extended exposure to respirable crystalline silica and associated risks of lung disease.
Fast facts about respirable crystalline silica and the MSHA standard:
Respirable crystalline silica penetrates the unciliated part of the lungs. That means the human body does not expel it.
Respirable crystalline silica dust has a median aerodynamic diameter of four microns. That’s 1/12th the dimension of a human hair’s diameter.
How much crystalline silica dust exposure is too much? A white sugar packet dispensed in a football field would not meet the MSHA standard.
Meeting the MSHA Silica Standard
If your mining facility processes materials that put workers at risk of inhaling crystalline silica, install or upgrade your silica dust collection system. Since the 2018 OSHA silica standards were implemented, we’ve helped bring countless manufacturers into compliance with new and updated silica dust collection systems. The IVI team specializes in design, engineering, fabricating and installing industrial ventilation solutions for a range of industries, including:
Quarries
Frac sand mining
Cement Plants
To find out how much silica dust is in your facility, the first step is to hire an industrial hygienist to take samples. This information is used to design and engineer a ventilation system that meets MSHA standards.
The MSHA Silica Standard Meets Our Dust Collection Design
Here’s how to start the process of meeting the MSHA Silica Standard:
- Using sampling from the industrial hygienist, we determine where the silica is being generated, so we can help you effectively capture it.
- Through the design and engineering process, we will recommend dust capture design and improvements.
- We will then fabricate and install an industrial dust collection system to meet your facility’s operating parameters.
A complete silica dust collection system fabrication and installation helps you eliminate exposure to hazardous particulates and reduces your housekeeping.
Our Goal
To help you meet the MSHA crystalline silica standard, our team will design, engineer, fabricate and install a custom dust collection system. Meeting this standard is tough. Our team helps ensure you meet it.
Are you ready to meet the MSHA silica standard?
Let us help. Ask about how our silica dust collection design can bring you into compliance.
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