Concrete has been used as a strong, durable building material for thousands of years, dating back to ancient structures that are still standing to this day. Yet, it has one fundamental enemy it can’t escape—water. As an uptick in humidity and rainstorms wash across many regions throughout much of the calendar, water infiltration can lead to issues such as below-grade…
Read MoreTag: crystalline
Xypex CEO offers full-throated view of industry’s bright future
The innovation behind the crystalline waterproofing technology synonymous with Vancouver, B.C.-based Xypex Chemical Corp. is featured in “Concrete Solutions Provided by Admixtures,” an Inside the Blueprint series episode airing this month on Bloomberg News and in syndication after. Producers explore how the technology works deep inside the concrete mass to create a permanent waterproof structure that resists extreme hydrostatic pressure…
Read MoreContractor coalition, Chamber: OSHA silica rule unworkable, economically infeasible
Sources: Construction Industry Safety Coalition, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D.C.
Two weeks after closing the public comment period for its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is continuing to process documents from individuals, companies and organizations challenging the agency’s math and embrace of air-monitoring technology for workplaces and job sites.
Read MoreCement and aggregate interests read OSHA rule writing on MSHA wall
Sources: Occupational Safety & Health Administration; CP staff
One of the most thorough cases challenging OSHA’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica is from a group representing producers not immediately affected by a change in the permissible exposure limit (PEL) threshold: National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association.
Read MoreEconomist contrasts concrete pipe profitability with OSHA’s silica rule claims
Sources: American Chemistry Council, Washington, D.C.; CP staff
The American Concrete Pipe Association joined peers in the public comment period for OSHA’s proposed permissible exposure limit of respirable crystalline silica in General Industry and Construction, concluding it “is unnecessary (without sufficient verifiable data to support that an exposure problem exists), cost prohibitive, especially for small businesses (OSHA cost data is understated and outdated), and contrary to the intended purpose of protecting our workers.”
Read MoreProducers, associations implore OSHA to reconsider proposed silica rule
Sources: CP staff; Occupational Safety & Health Administration
Concrete, aggregate and cement interests are well represented in parties challenging the rationale, compliance costs and burdens—along with a timeline from announcement (August 28) to close of a four-month public comment period (February 11)—tied to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica.
Read MoreIndustry panel: Silica rule compliance carries $8.6 billion price tag
Source: American Chemistry Council, Washington, D.C.
The American Chemistry Council Crystalline Silica Panel, whose 16 members include Lafarge North America, Vulcan Materials Co., James Hardie Building Products and the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, resolutely questions the basis for the OSHA-proposed halving of the permissible exposure limit (PEL) to respirable crystalline silica.
Read MoreNCMA, NRMCA mobilize response to extended OSHA silica rule comment period
Sources: Occupational Safety and Health Administration; National Concrete Masonry Association, Herndon, Va.; National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Silver Spring, Md.
OSHA is accepting comments on its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica through February 11—two weeks beyond a prior deadline for stakeholders in concrete, construction and other industry sectors to weigh in on a universal permissible exposure limit (PEL) for silica dust or powder.
Read MoreOSHA adds six weeks to comment period for proposed crystalline silica exposure limit
Sources: Occupational Safety and Health Administration; CP staff
The public comment period for OSHA’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Occupational Exposure to Crystalline Silica continues through January 27, following the agency’s decision to extend an original December 11 deadline.
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