Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 112construction industry with respect to controlling silica exposure,” he explained. “We also believe that OSHA’s final cost estimates for the rule are still significantly underes- timated.” Measuring airborne silica is a foundational requirement under part of the new rules. The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) sup- ported OSHA’s previous silica rules, but executive director Bart Bettiga told the agency that dust control, especially at the low exposure lev- els that OSHA is recommending, is complex and challenging. “It is uni- versally recognized that the current methods for sampling and analyzing respirable crystalline silica are not exact, and are subject to variation and error that can cause false posi- tives and negatives,” Bettiga said. Mortar and grout mixing: silica exposure risk for tile installers The American Lung Association describes silicosis as “a lung dis- ease caused by breathing in tiny bits of silica, a mineral that is part of sand, rock, and mineral ores such as quartz. It mostly affects workers in mining, glass manu- facturing, and foundry work. Over time, exposure to silica particles causes scarring in the lungs, which can harm your ability to breathe.” One of the “dustiest” jobs in tile installation is mixing setting materials – both mortars and grouts. Mortars are predominantly comprised of silica since both the cement and sand aggregate – two of the three key ingredients – have long been raw silica. Manufacturer Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) typically explain how to protect installers from potentially harmful effects of working with construction products. Some man- ufacturers are working to prepare guidelines and expertise on the new rules, exposure limits and best practices. “We definitely want to get out ahead of the curve and make installers aware of the new requirements,” explained Mark OSHA IN THE NEWS ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– We can test per ANSI B101.1 / ANSI B101.3 / ASTM C1028-07 ANSI A137.1 (AcuTest) / SCOF, DCOF, Slip Index Meets or Exceeds ADA and OSHA 100% Guaranteed INCREASE YOUR TRACTION UP TO 600% Local testing and installers available Treated over 6,000,000 sq ft Engineer Tested and Proven We accept all Tile Store or Installers PO’s with 30 days terms! free fast shipping www.slipdoctors.com | Toll FREE 888-436-5404 | Fax: 214-666-3225 | info@slipdoctors.com 66 TileLetter | July 2016