OSHA Regulations for Construction, Subpart Z, Toxic and Hazardous Substances - 29 CFR 1926.1153. Completed entirely online.

Course Overview

Who Should take this course?

This Silica Awareness for Construction Online course provides a general awareness of the risks and the regulatory requirements for protecting employees who work with substances and materials that contain silica, as required by OSHA.

Approximately two million construction workers are exposed to respirable crystalline silica in over 600,000 workplaces each year. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, estimates that more than 840,000 of these workers are exposed to silica levels that exceed permissible exposure limits (PELs).

Exposure to respirable crystalline silica can cause silicosis, lung cancer, other respiratory diseases, and kidney disease.

Exposure to silica can occur during common construction tasks, such as using masonry saws, grinders, drills, jackhammers, handheld powered chipping tools, operating vehicle-mounted drilling rigs, milling, operating crushing machines, and using heavy equipment for demolition or certain other tasks.

NOTE - OSHA's regulations define construction work as "construction, alteration, and/or repair, including painting and decorating."

Objectives

The objective of this Silica Awareness for Construction Online course is to provide a general awareness of the risks and the regulatory requirements for protecting employees who work with substances and materials that contain silica, as required by OSHA.

The course will also introduce students to the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations for Construction, Subpart Z, Toxic and Hazardous Substances - 29 CFR 1926.1153.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • Define what respirable crystalline silica is;
  • Identify where respirable crystalline silica is encountered;
  • Understand the definitions and the hazards associated with silica dust and silica dust exposure;
  • Explain the different ways workers are exposed to silica dust;
  • Describe the health effects of silica dust exposure;
  • Explain the essentials of OSHA’s respirable crystalline silica Standard for Construction;
  • Identify and describe OSHA methods of compliance to prevent silica dust exposure; and
  • Explain how workers and employers can avoid silica dust hazards through engineering controls, work practices, and personal protective equipment.

Topics

This course consists of 1 module broken down into 4 sections. Students are required to take each section in sequential order as listed below.

ModuleSectionSection Title
Course Introduction
1 Course Overview
Silica Awareness for Construction
2 Introduction to Silica
3 Limiting Exposure to Silica Dust
Summary and Conclusion
4 Summary and Conclusion
Final Exam

Exams

This course has one final exam based upon the material in the 3 course sections.

The exam consists of 10 questions selected at random from a larger pool of questions. A score of 70% or better is required to pass each exam. If a student does not pass the exam the first time, they may retake the exam as many times as necessary in order to pass.

Training Requirements

Each employee covered by the Construction Standard must be trained to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of at least the following:

  • The health hazards associated with exposure to respirable crystalline silica;
  • Specific workplace tasks that could result in exposure;
  • Specific measures the employer has implemented to protect employees from exposure, including engineering controls, work practices, and respirators to be used;
  • The contents of the OSHA Standard;
  • The identity of the competent person designated by the employer in accordance with the Standard; and
  • The purpose and a description of the medical surveillance program required by the Standard.
Note – italicized items are to be conducted by the employer upon completion this training.

Additionally, workers must receive additional training, when required by OSHA standards, on the specific hazards of their job. Training Providers should be used to ensure credibility and augment a company’s training program. Therefore, in addition to the training provided by an outside party, a student should receive site-specific training supplied by their employer. This training should target the company’s unique approach to hazard prevention, including the use of site-specific equipment, health and safety policies, and emergency procedures. As a rule, this company-specific training should be well documented.

Mobile Version

We're excited to announce that this course is available in HTML 5, making it more compatible with the browser on your mobile device (e.g., smartphone or tablet).

This course requires only the most recent version of your mobile device's web browser.

Mobile Pros and Cons

Mobile versions of this sort of training are new, but below are some Pros and Cons that we have noticed during our extensive testing.

Pros

  • No computer needed
  • Tablet mobility
  • Tablet screen graphics

Cons

  • Smartphone screens can be too small to see
  • Mobile browsers react differently than computer browsers
  • Phone calls can interrupt training

During our testing we noticed that tablets work much better than smartphones, simply due to their screen size. The newer the device, the better the result. We are also aware that the course will not work on the first generation iPad, nor older Android Tablets.


Test the functionality of your browser using HTML5 and compare it to the performance of other browsers. If you find other browsers are more compatible than your own, you may want to make the switch.

FAQ

Below are some frequently asked questions specific to this course.

Q - How long will this course take to complete?

Our courses are set up to take a specific amount of time. Some students may get through the training more quickly, while others may actually take longer to complete their training. Remember, this training should be used as an intricate tool in the context of an overall training program; it can be combined with other training throughout the year in order to meet any hour requirements needed.


Q - How long do I have to start a course once enrolled?

Students have 12 months to start their training from the time they enroll in an online course.


Q - How long do I have to complete a course once started?

Take up to 12 months to complete your online training, at your own pace and schedule.


Q - Do I have to finish the course in one sitting?

No, our courses are designed so you can start and stop as needed, allowing you to break the training up over a longer period of time. Our system will keep track of your progress, enabling you to resume where you left off upon your next login. It is important that once you start a section, you complete that section or you will need to start that section over from the beginning upon your return.


Q - Can I take the course from more than one computer?

Yes, you can take the online portion by signing in with your username and password from any location and computer with high-speed internet access. However, each computer does need to meet our basic system requirements for viewing our online courses.


Q - Will I receive a certificate for this course?

Yes, once you have completed a course, you are able to download, save or print a certificate of completion from your student account. Certificates are created in a pdf format. Users must have the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader before attempting to download the completion certificate.