The proposed rule to lower the permissible exposure limit for crystalline silica got dusted off earlier this month after a long period of inactivity at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Frustrated by delays in the review of a proposed silica rule, occupational health advocates have launched  an online petition meant to compel the Obama administration to make good on its promise to support the U.S. labor force.

The following describes the NIOSH policy for respiratory protection against airborne exposures to crystalline silica.

Researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have uncovered evidence that gas and oil workers may be exposed to dangerously high levels of respirable crystalline silica while performing hydraulic fracturing operations known as “fracking.”

David Weissman, M.D., and Paul Schulte, Ph.D. begin their latest article on the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Science blog with a quote dating back almost four centuries: