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California Standards Board Adopts Permanent Standard to Protect Workers from Respirable Crystalline Silica

Silica Testing Services

Category	Press Release
Publish Date	2/12/2025
Author	Paul Cochrane
Title	California Standards Board Adopts Permanent Standard to Protect Workers from Respirable Crystalline Silica
Introduction	LA Testing offers industrial hygiene and environmental testing services, sampling supplies, test kits, monitoring instruments, and personal protective equipment to identify and mitigate exposure to silica and other airborne pollutants.
Huntington Beach, California, February 12, 2025 This past December, the State of California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) announced that the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board had voted unanimously to make emergency regulations permanent, protecting workers from respirable crystalline silica, especially those who work with artificial, man-made stone. According to the DIR announcement: The Board’s decision highlights the need to protect workers who fabricate countertops and similar products made from artificial stone and natural stone containing more than 10% crystalline silica. Without proper protection and procedures, workers breathing in silica dust are likely to get the disease silicosis - an incurable, progressive disease that can cause serious and fatal health effects. “Hundreds of workers have developed silicosis since 2019, according to the DIR,” said Michael Chapman, Laboratory Manager of LA Testing’s Huntington Beach facility. “Due to this threat, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has been conducting a number of workplace inspections focused on silica exposure issues. A significant number of businesses have received Orders Prohibiting Use (OPUs), which temporarily shut down equipment or processes that posed immediate safety risks.” Dedicated to protecting California’s workers from exposure to respirable crystalline silica are the professionals at LA Testing. They offer industrial hygiene, environmental, and material testing for crystalline silica and other airborne hazards. LA Testing also provides sampling supplies, easy-to use test kits, real-time air monitoring instruments, and a comprehensive line of respirators and other personal protective equipment. These same resources help to keep businesses in compliance with health and safety regulations. To learn more about this or other industrial hygiene, material, environmental, or air quality testing resources, please visit www.LATesting.com, email info@LATesting.com, or call (800) 755-1794. To access silica in dust test kits, visit www.EMSLTestKits.com. About LA Testing LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for environmental and indoor air quality testing of asbestos, mold, bacteria, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals. In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: AIHA LAP LLC., AIHA ELLAP, AIHA EMLAP and AIHA IHLAP, CDC ELITE, NVLAP, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states. LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Huntington Beach, San Leandro and San Diego.