Airborne Dust Limits Finalized for Sand Use in Hydraulic Fracturing

Abstract

The long-term effects of respirable silica dust have been long known to various industrial sectors, from concrete construction and road building to the manufacture of glass and ceramics. As hydraulic fracturing operations have become a significant part of oil and gas portfolios, companies have begun paying additional attention to the safety of workers exposed to the dust that emanates from large volumes of the sand used. In March 2016, the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a revised standard that cuts in half the permissible exposure limit (PEL) per cubic meter of air, making employers implement controls that limit worker exposure and access in high-silica areas. The regulations provide some challenges, but a closer look shows that the oil and gas industry anticipated the effects of crystalline silica as well as the effects of the new regulations. Operators and sand companies have a host of technological approaches to deal with the realities of this harmful dust. OSHA Regulations Crystalline silica is used in a wide variety of applications in several industries. It can be used as a filler in plastics, rubber, and paint, and as an abrasive in soaps and scouring cleaners. For oil and gas, silica dust particles are a common hazard when dealing with sand on hydraulic fracturing sites. OSHA estimates that nearly 2.3 million workers in the US are exposed to respirable crystal-line silica in their workplaces. The US Department of Labor determined that workers exposed to silica dust at the previous permissible exposure limits faced increased risks of developing lung cancer, kidney disease, silicosis, and other nonmalignant respiratory diseases. The Department of Labor first set standards to limit worker exposure to respirable crystalline silica in 1971 after it created OSHA, but in recent years it claimed the standards were outdated and did not accurately protect workers from silica-related diseases, nor did it account for new industries.