Respirable Crystalline Silica: comply without guessing
Cutting, grinding, drilling, or crushing concrete, stone, brick, or engineered stone releases respirable crystalline silica — dust fine enough to scar the lungs for life. OSHA's construction silica standard (29 CFR 1926.1153) gives you two ways to comply: follow the specified controls in Table 1 and skip air monitoring, or measure exposure and keep it below the 50 µg/m³ limit. Either way you need a written plan, a competent person, and — for anyone in a respirator 30+ days a year — medical surveillance.
Verified against eCFR 1926.1153 · July 22, 2026
At a glance
Two compliance paths
Follow Table 1's specified engineering controls and work practices exactly (no exposure monitoring needed), OR use alternative controls and assess exposure against the PEL
1926.1153(c)/(d)Permissible exposure limit
A PEL of 50 µg/m³ as an 8-hour time-weighted average, with an action level of 25 µg/m³ that triggers periodic exposure monitoring. Construction medical surveillance is separate: it follows required respirator use for 30 or more days a year, 1926.1153(h)(1)(i)
1926.1153(d)Written exposure control plan
A written plan describing the tasks, the engineering controls and work practices, and the housekeeping measures — plus a designated competent person who inspects frequently and regularly
1926.1153(g)Respiratory protection
When Table 1 or the exposure assessment calls for it, provide respirators under a full 29 CFR 1910.134 program — respirators are the last control, not the first
1926.1153(e)Medical surveillance
Offer baseline and periodic exams (chest X-ray + pulmonary function) to each employee required to wear a respirator 30 or more days a year
1926.1153(h)(1)(i)Housekeeping
No dry sweeping/brushing and no compressed air for cleaning where a safer alternative is feasible — wet methods or HEPA-filtered vacuuming instead
1926.1153(f)Silica is a construction-wide hazard: about 2.3 million U.S. workers are exposed to respirable crystalline silica (OSHA). A serious violation of the standard carries a maximum of $16,550 (2026 amounts, 1903.15(d)); the disease it prevents, silicosis, has no cure.
Which control & respirator does your task need?
Pick your task, where it’s done, and how long it runs for the exact Table 1 engineering control and the minimum respirator OSHA requires — with the citation. Runs on the same engine as our full Silica Table 1 Control Selector.
Follow the fully & properly implemented Table 1 control and you need no exposure monitoring — 1926.1153(c)(1).
Pick your task, where it’s done, and how long — for the exact Table 1 control and the minimum respirator OSHA requires, with the citation.
Two ways to comply — pick one per task
The silica standard is unusual: it gives you a shortcut. You can either follow a recipe (Table 1) and skip air monitoring, or measure exposure and manage it to the limit. Most contractors use Table 1 wherever the task fits.
Path 1 — Table 1 (the shortcut)
For 18 listed tasks, fully and properly implement the specified control (usually water suppression or a HEPA dust-collection system) and the listed respirator. Do that and you are deemed compliant — no exposure monitoring required.
1926.1153(c)(1)Path 2 — alternative controls
For any task (or one not in Table 1), assess each worker’s exposure and keep it at or below the 50 µg/m³ PEL using engineering controls first, respirators only for the remainder. Monitoring obligations begin at the 25 µg/m³ action level.
1926.1153(d)Table 1: the specified-control shortcut
Table 1 pairs 18 common tasks with a dust control and a minimum respirator. The respirator can change with location and duration — so a handheld saw needs no respirator outdoors for a short cut, but an APF-10 respirator once it runs indoors or past four hours. Use the checker above for your exact case.
Water suppression
An integrated water-delivery system that continuously wets the blade, bit, or wheel — saws, drills, grinders, milling machines.
HEPA dust collection
A commercial shroud/cowling + dust collector with a 99%+ filter and a filter-cleaning mechanism — drilling, tuckpointing, fiber-cement.
Enclosed cab / booth
Operate heavy equipment or crushing machines from an enclosed cab or ventilated booth with clean, climate-controlled air.
The catch: the shortcut only holds if the control is fully and properly implemented. A saw run dry, or a dust collector with a clogged filter, drops you out of Table 1 and back to the PEL — with no monitoring data to prove you were under it. Pick your task to see the exact control and respirator.
The written plan & the competent person
Both paths require paper. A written exposure control plan is the document an inspector asks for first.
Written exposure control plan
It must describe the tasks that create silica exposure, the engineering controls and work practices used for each task, and the housekeeping measures. Review and update it at least annually.
1926.1153(g)(1)A designated competent person
You must name a competent person to make the frequent and regular inspections that implement the plan — someone who can identify silica hazards and has authority to correct them.
1926.1153(g)(4)Medical surveillance: the 30-day trigger
Who it covers
Medical surveillance is owed to each employee required to wear a respirator for silica 30 or more days a year — not to everyone exposed. Miss that line and you miss the trigger.
1926.1153(h)(1)(i)What it includes
A baseline exam and periodic exams at least every three years — each with a chest X-ray read by a B-reader and a pulmonary function test — by a PLHCP, at no cost to the worker.
1926.1153(h)(2)–(3)Housekeeping: what you may not do
No dry sweeping or brushing
…where it could contribute to exposure and a safer alternative — wet sweeping or HEPA-filtered vacuuming — is feasible. Dry cleanup re-suspends the very dust the controls captured.
1926.1153(f)(1)No compressed air for cleaning
…unless it is used with a ventilation system that captures the dust, or no alternative method is feasible. Blowing silica dust off clothing or surfaces is a classic citation.
1926.1153(f)(2)Why this standard has teeth: the engineered-stone crisis
Engineered (“quartz”) stone is more than 90% crystalline silica — versus roughly 30% for granite. Cutting and polishing it has caused a resurgence of aggressive silicosis in young fabrication workers; California alone confirmed 219 cases, at least 14 deaths, and 26 lung transplants by November 2024 (median age 44). Silicosis is incurable. This is the human case for doing Table 1 and the respirator program right.
Read the data: the silicosis comebackKey facts
- The construction silica standard has been in force since September 23, 2017 — the PEL is 50 µg/m³ (8-hour TWA) and the action level is 25 µg/m³ (1926.1153(d)).
- Table 1 lists 18 common tasks; if you fully and properly implement the specified control, you do not have to measure exposure at all (1926.1153(c)(1)).
- The required respirator in Table 1 can change with location and duration — the same task may need no respirator outdoors under 4 hours but an APF-10 respirator indoors or over 4 hours.
- Medical surveillance is owed to anyone required to wear a respirator for silica 30+ days a year, not to everyone exposed (1926.1153(h)(1)(i)).
- Engineered ('quartz') stone is more than 90% crystalline silica — the material behind a resurgence of severe silicosis in young fabrication workers (CDC/NIOSH).
- General-industry silica is a separate standard, 29 CFR 1910.1053, with the same 50 µg/m³ PEL and 25 µg/m³ action level.
Tools, guides and the standard
Free tools
- Silica Table 1 Control Selector
Task + location + duration → the control, the respirator, and a field PDF.
- Silica Exposure Calculator
Estimate an 8-hour TWA against the 50 µg/m³ PEL and 25 µg/m³ action level.
- Respiratory Program Builder
The written 1910.134 program silica respirators require.
In-depth guides
Silica FAQ
What is OSHA's silica exposure limit?
OSHA's permissible exposure limit for respirable crystalline silica is 50 µg/m³ as an 8-hour time-weighted average, with an action level of 25 µg/m³ (29 CFR 1926.1153(d) for construction; 1910.1053 for general industry). The action level — half the PEL — is the point at which periodic exposure monitoring kicks in. Medical surveillance follows a different trigger, and the two standards differ: in construction it is required respirator use for 30 or more days a year (1926.1153(h)(1)(i)); in general industry it is exposure at or above the action level for 30 or more days a year (1910.1053(i)).
What are the two ways to comply with the silica standard?
Path one is Table 1 (29 CFR 1926.1153(c)): for 18 listed construction tasks, if you fully and properly implement the specified engineering controls, work practices, and respiratory protection, you are deemed compliant and do not have to measure exposure. Path two is the alternative exposure control methods (1926.1153(d)): for any task, assess each worker's exposure and keep it at or below the PEL using engineering controls first, respirators only as needed.
What is Table 1 for silica?
Table 1 to paragraph (c) of 29 CFR 1926.1153 lists 18 common construction tasks — from stationary and handheld saws to grinders, jackhammers, drills, and milling machines — and pairs each with the specific dust control (usually water or a HEPA dust-collection system) and the minimum respirator required. The required respirator can vary by whether the work is indoors or outdoors and whether it runs more or less than four hours a shift. Follow the Table 1 entry exactly and you skip exposure monitoring entirely.
When is silica medical surveillance required?
An employer must make medical surveillance available to each employee who is required to wear a respirator for silica for 30 or more days per year (29 CFR 1926.1153(h)(1)(i)). It includes a baseline exam and periodic exams at least every three years, each with a chest X-ray and pulmonary function test, performed by a PLHCP at no cost to the worker. Workers merely exposed but not required to wear a respirator that often do not trigger the requirement.
Do I need a written exposure control plan for silica?
Yes. 29 CFR 1926.1153(g) requires a written exposure control plan describing the tasks that involve silica exposure, the engineering controls and work practices used for each, and the housekeeping measures — and it requires you to designate a competent person to make frequent and regular inspections to implement the plan. Review and update it at least annually.
Why is engineered-stone (quartz) countertop work so dangerous?
Engineered stone is manufactured from crushed quartz and is more than 90% crystalline silica — far more than granite (~30%) or marble (under 10%). Cutting and polishing it, especially dry, releases very high levels of respirable silica, and fabricators have developed an aggressive, accelerated silicosis. California alone has confirmed 219 cases, including at least 14 deaths and 26 lung transplants (as of November 2024). It is the reason the respirator program and the Table 1 controls are not optional paperwork.
Sources
- osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1926/1926.1153
- osha.gov/silica-crystalline
- cdc.gov/niosh/topics/silica/
The paragraph structure of 29 CFR 1926.1153 (c)–(j) and the 50 µg/m³ PEL / 25 µg/m³ action level were verified against osha.gov on July 22, 2026; Table 1’s 18 tasks and respirator cells were verified 2026-06-26. The California engineered-stone figures (219 cases, ≥14 deaths, 26 lung transplants, November 2024) are from CDC/California surveillance. General guidance, not legal advice; OSHA-approved State Plans (e.g. Cal/OSHA) may impose stricter requirements.
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OSHA does not give advance notice of inspections (29 CFR 1903.6). Get the binder in order before the opening conference, not during it.
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