On-Site MSHA Silica Physicals
GO MOBILE WITH OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
Get the best MSHA-required respirable crystalline silica testing for your employees without them leaving your job site! Staffed by highly trained medical teams, we have one goal: to get you and your team back to work.
Send your team to a clinic designed just for workers. No more long waits at urgent care clinics.
MSHA Silica Physical Requirements
The MSHA Silica Standard requires employers to provide workers:
- MEDICAL HISTORY QUESTIONNAIRE
- PHYSICAL EXAMINATION*
- CHEST X-RAY: B-READER*
- PULMONARY FUNCTION TEST*
- TUBERCULOSIS (TB) TEST
OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard
- INITIAL RESPIRATOR MEDICAL QUESTIONNAIRE
- RESPIRATOR FIT TESTING
For details, continue below.
The Mobile Advantage
You should have more options when it comes to medical surveillance testing.
Why send your team to urgent care? They will wait in long lines with the general public, and they’ll be away from work. Your testing should be done on your terms, and completed around your schedule.
At Worksite Medical, we’re all about keeping your workplace productive and MSHA & OSHA compliant. Need audio exams, respirator fit testing, and lab screenings? How about silica physicals, flu shots, and drug testing?
Now, you can meet all of your MSHA & OSHA required medical surveillance testing requirements at one time. We safely maintain your company health records, and offer you full accessibility. And, you can develop ongoing new-hire programs!
The MSHA Standard
On April 18, 2024, MSHA issued its final rule, Lowering Miners’ Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica and Improving Respiratory Protection, to reduce miner exposures to respirable crystalline silica and improve respiratory protection for all airborne hazards. The final rule:
- Lowers the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for respirable crystalline silica to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air (µg/m3) for a full shift, calculated as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) for all miners;
- Establishes an action level for respirable crystalline silica at 25 µg/m3 for a full shift, calculated as an 8-hour TWA for all miners;
- Includes uniform requirements for controlling and monitoring exposures to respirable crystalline silica at coal and metal and nonmetal (MNM) mines;
- Includes medical surveillance requirements for MNM mines, modeled on the existing medical surveillance requirements for coal mines; and
- Updates existing respiratory protection requirements by incorporating by reference a voluntary consensus standard by the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) that reflects the latest advances in respiratory protection technologies and practices – ASTM F3387-19 Standard Practice for Respiratory Protection.
The final rule took effect on June 17, 2024. Coal mine operators have 12 months to come into compliance with the final rule’s requirements, while MNM mine operators have 24 months to come into compliance (including medical surveillance).
Frequency Requirements for MSHA Silica Exams
- Medical Examinations:
- Annually for workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica above the action level of 0.025 mg/m³ over an 8-hour shift.
- Every 3 years for workers with prolonged or higher exposure to silica dust.
- Every 5 years for workers with lower exposure levels, but still at risk due to cumulative silica exposure.
- Chest X-Rays:
- Every 3 years for miners with continued silica exposure. If any abnormalities are detected, more frequent monitoring may be required.
- Every 5 years may apply in certain lower-exposure scenarios, where the risk of respiratory diseases is still present, but at a reduced level compared to higher exposure.
- Pulmonary Function Tests:
- Annually, as part of the health surveillance program, to track any decline in lung function that may be linked to silica dust exposure.
- Every 5 years for workers with minimal exposure, though annual testing is recommended for higher-risk workers.
- Respirator Medical Evaluations:
- Annually or more frequently if conditions change, to ensure the worker is still fit to wear a respirator.
