Casella, international providers of dust, noise and vibration monitoring solutions, welcomes the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard on silica exposure levels expected in September 2017. Casella encourages employers to use the Apex2 personal dust sampling pump range to monitor individual exposure effectively and ensure worker protection.
Approximately 1.7 million workers in the U.S. are exposed to respirable crystalline silica in a variety of industries and occupations.1 The latest OSHA regulation for exposure to respirable crystalline silica comes into force in September 2017. It highlights a new effort to tackle the preventable diseases that can develop as a result of exposure, including silicosis and lung cancer. This standard is part of a zero-tolerance approach and will reduce the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air averaged over an 8-hour shift.2 Employers will also be required to use engineering controls to limit exposure limits and worker access to high- exposure areas, develop written exposure control plans, and train workers on silica risks and how to limit exposures.3
Monitoring equipment is essential in this process to identify particles and their prevalence and, when necessary, send them to a laboratory for additional testing. Casella’s Apex2 personal dust sampling pump range boasts class-leading performance and capability, ensuring monitoring and analysis of dust exposure can be carried out safely and effectively. The range includes three separate models: the Apex2, Apex2 Plus and Apex2 Pro, with different functionality to meet varying requirements—all designed to monitor workplace dust levels to help protect workers from developing long-term latency health problems as the result of occupational exposures.
Incorporating Bluetooth connectivity with Casella’s bespoke Airwave software, workers can be monitored remotely without being distracted, boosting productivity levels. Employers can view the status of their dust sampling pump on a worker and start, stop or even pause the tool from a smart device. This software is simple and easy to use, providing real-time status updates and allowing collected data to be emailed alongside photos and notes for added context and further simplifying the reporting process.
Justin Stewart, Area Sales Manager for Casella said, “The strengthened OSHA regulations highlight that monitoring employee dust exposure levels has never been more pertinent. The Apex2 range helps employers to do this with equipment that is easy to use, providing instant results and identifying any issues and changing processes instantaneously to enhance the long-term health and quality of life for workers.”
Visit www.casellasolutions.com for additional information.
1 https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/silica/
2 https://www.osha.gov/silica/
3 https://www.osha.gov/silica/
About Casella
Casella is dedicated to reducing occupational health and environmental impact risks through effective monitoring solutions. Casella prides itself on having provided precision instrumentation since 1799, having supplied eminent figures including Charles Darwin with instrumentation for exploration and scientific work. The company then went on to patent the Mercury Thermometer in 1861 and by 1961, the products you see today started to take shape when they developed the first personal air sampling pump.
Casella has changed significantly over these 200 plus years but remains perfectly placed to offer reliable, trustworthy and credible solutions for Occupational and Environmental monitoring of noise and dust, with over 40 years of innovation in noise and 60 years in dust measurement.
Casella’s aim is to enhance the long-term health and quality of life for workers in high-risk occupational sectors and to monitor the impact on the environment through innovative technology, easy-to-use products and expertise that can be trusted.
The company has offices in China, India and the USA, as well as a host of global distributors which provide both service and support to those searching out solutions for risk reductions.
