OSHA Silica Standard General Industry vs Construction

If the work is construction, 29 CFR 1926.1153 applies. If the work is any other silica-generating work outside agriculture, 29 CFR 1910.1053 applies. Both standards set the same exposure limits. The difference is how an employer proves control. Construction employers may follow Table 1 for listed tasks instead of assessing exposure. General industry employers must assess exposure, with one narrow exception.

This page covers only which standard governs a workplace and where the two differ. It was last updated on September 25, 2026.

Who it covers. The standard covers occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica in general industry and maritime. It excludes construction work, which goes to 1926.1153. It also excludes agricultural operations under 29 CFR part 1928, according to OSHA's general industry page.

Exemption. If objective data show exposures will stay below 25 µg/m³ under any foreseeable conditions, many provisions do not apply.

Exposure assessment. The employer must choose one of two options:

• Performance option: any combination of air monitoring and objective data.
• Scheduled monitoring option: initial personal breathing zone samples for each shift, job classification and work area.

Under the scheduled option, the next step depends on the result:

• If exposure is below the action level, monitoring for that employee may stop.
• If exposure is at or above the action level but at or below the PEL, monitoring is repeated within 6 months.
• If exposure is above the PEL, monitoring is repeated within 3 months.

Regulated areas. The employer must limit access to areas where exposure exceeds the PEL.

Written exposure control plan. The plan lists the exposure-generating tasks, the engineering, work-practice and respiratory controls, and the housekeeping measures. It is reviewed and updated at least once a year. It must be available to employees and to regulators.

Housekeeping. Dry sweeping, dry brushing and cleaning with compressed air are not permitted unless alternative methods are not feasible.

Medical surveillance. If an employee is exposed at or above the action level for 30 or more days a year, the employer must offer medical exams at no cost. The baseline exam is due within 30 days of assignment. Follow-up exams are every 3 years. Exams include a chest X-ray, a pulmonary function test, TB screening and a medical and work history. A Physician or other Licensed Health Care Professional (PLHCP) conducts them. A board-certified specialist in pulmonary disease or occupational medicine is required for certain referrals.

No competent person. The regulatory text of 1910.1053 does not require a designated competent person.

Deadlines. General obligations took effect June 23, 2018. Medical surveillance for action-level exposures took effect June 23, 2020. Engineering controls for hydraulic fracturing in oil and gas took effect June 23, 2021.

Citation record. OSHA cited General Shale Brick Inc., doing business as Watsontown Brick Company, after a February 12, 2026 inspection of a molded brick plant in Watsontown, Pennsylvania. The OSHA news release lists 3 willful, 4 serious, 1 repeat and 1 other-than-serious violations, with $496,528 in proposed penalties. The findings included no regulated areas, incomplete exposure evaluation across job classifications, no annual respirator fit testing and missing medical exams for workers exposed 30 or more days a year.

In March 2026, OSHA cited two Cartersville, Georgia stone product manufacturers after a follow-up inspection. Stone Atlanta Countertops Inc. faced $42,699 in proposed penalties. GT Stone Granite LLC faced $73,607. Both lacked a written silica exposure control plan and a written respiratory protection program, according to the OSHA Atlanta release.

Who it fits. This standard governs manufacturers, fabrication shops, shipyards and any other fixed workplace where silica work is not construction.

Who it covers. The standard covers respirable crystalline silica exposure in construction work.

Table 1. Table 1 lists construction tasks with specified engineering controls, work practices and respirator requirements. HazComFast counts 18 tasks. If the employer follows the controls for a listed task exactly, the exposure monitoring obligation does not apply to that task. If a task is not on Table 1, or the controls are not followed exactly, the employer must assess exposure.

Competent person. The construction standard requires a competent person. The general industry standard does not.

Written exposure control plan. The plan lists the silica-generating tasks, the engineering controls and work practices for each, and the housekeeping methods used on site.

Medical exams. The baseline exam is due within 30 days of assignment. Periodic exams are every 3 years.

Uncontrolled exposure levels. HazComFast reports these ranges for tasks performed without controls:

• Concrete cutting: 200 to 2,000 µg/m³
• Tuck-pointing: 500 to 5,000 µg/m³
• Sweeping concrete dust: 100 to 2,000 µg/m³

Each range is above the 50 µg/m³ PEL.

Citation record. HazComFast reports more than 400 silica-related citations to construction firms in 2025.

Who it fits. This standard governs contractors and crews doing construction work.

Table 1 and exposure assessment

A construction employer may show compliance by task. For a Table 1 task done with the listed controls, no monitoring is required. A general industry employer has no Table 1. That employer must assess exposure through air monitoring, objective data or scheduled sampling.

One exception applies. A general industry employer may follow Table 1 instead of 1910.1053 only if both conditions are met:

1. The task is indistinguishable from a task listed in construction Table 1.
2. The task is not performed regularly under the same conditions.

If either condition fails, full general industry compliance applies, including exposure assessment. This is stated on OSHA's general industry guidance page. A task done daily at a fixed station does not meet the second condition.

Regulated areas and the competent person

In general industry, the control on access is the regulated area. The employer must limit entry to areas above the PEL. The Watsontown Brick citation included a failure to establish regulated areas.

In construction, the standard assigns a competent person. The general industry standard has no such role.

The sources used for this page do not describe a written access plan or the competent person's specific duties under 1926.1153. Those details are not covered here.

Medical surveillance trigger

Under 1910.1053, the trigger is exposure at or above 25 µg/m³ for 30 or more days a year. This is confirmed by OSHA.

The only construction source used for this page, HazComFast, states the same action-level trigger for 1926.1153. The brief for this page describes a different construction trigger, based on 30 or more days a year in a required respirator. No OSHA source used here confirms either wording for construction. Construction employers should check the text of 1926.1153 before setting up enrollment.

Housekeeping

Under 1910.1053, dry sweeping, dry brushing and compressed-air cleaning are not permitted unless alternatives are not feasible. Under 1926.1153, housekeeping methods must be written into the exposure control plan. The sources used here do not state the construction restrictions on specific cleaning methods.

The employer does not choose between the two standards. The work decides.

• If the work is construction, follow 1926.1153. Use Table 1 for any listed task where the specified controls can be followed exactly. Assess exposure for everything else. Designate a competent person.
• If the work is general industry or maritime, follow 1910.1053. Choose the performance option or the scheduled monitoring option. Set up regulated areas where exposure exceeds 50 µg/m³. Enroll employees exposed at or above 25 µg/m³ for 30 or more days a year in medical surveillance.
• If a general industry employer does a one-off task that matches a Table 1 task and is not done regularly under the same conditions, Table 1 may be followed for that task only.
• If a general industry task recurs under the same conditions, Table 1 is not available and exposure must be assessed.

Once the governing standard is known, the full requirements for each are set out in the 2026 silica standards reference.