Amendment Passed to Delay Silica Rule

Words: Dan KamysIn late-June, the Senate Appropriations Committee considered the FY16 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill and passed the bill out of Committee and to the full Senate for consideration. The MCAA is pleased to report that during consideration of the bill, Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) offered an amendment to delay the proposed silica exposure rule being pursued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This amendment was passed by Committee and is now a part of the legislation that moves to the Senate for consideration. Specifically the Sen. Hoeven amendment would not allow OSHA to finalize the regulation until such time that:
  1. a new Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act, or SBREFA Panel review is conducted and a report delivered to OSHA; and
  2. an independent study is delivered to the Appropriations Committee and the HELP Committee examining:
1. OSHA’s epidemiological justification for its proposed reduction of the current OSHA exposure limits, including the prevalence or lack of disease and mortality associated with the current OSHA exposure limits, 2. the ability of laboratories to measure, with accuracy and precision that meet the “NIOSH Accuracy Criterion,” exposures generally below the current OSHA exposure limits and specifically at the proposed OSHA exposure limit and proposed action level, 3. the ability of various types of personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect employees, 4. the steady decline in silicosis related mortality rates based on data maintained by the Centers for Disease Control; and 5. the costs of the different types of PPE compared with the costs of engineering and work practice controls. While we are celebrating this huge victory in the Senate, our work is far from over. Unfortunately, this language was not included in the underlying House version of the FY16 Labor-HHS-Education bill. We need you to call your Representative and ask him or her to contact Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK), urging him to include the Hoeven language in the final version of the corresponding House bill.
Change Orders: Standard Operating Procedure
August 2026

In masonry construction, change orders are not occasional events; they are guaranteed. Drawings do not always match field conditions, specifications can conflict, and real-world construction has a way of exposing gaps in design. At DRP Masonry, we operat

Donnie Williams
Resources
Read More
RFIs: Clarity, Communication and... Hierarchy?
August 2026

In construction, any project starts with drawings. Plans. Schedules. Specifications. Whether we're talking about new construction, additions, or restoration, there is a plan, there is design intent, and a way every piece of a project needs to fit together

Kate Vienna
Technical Talks
Read More
PPE That Workers Actually Wear: Building Buy-In Through Education and Smart Selection
August 2026

In masonry construction, personal protective equipment (PPE) is often the last line of defense between a worker and an injury. Yet despite its importance, PPE compliance remains one of the most common challenges on jobsites across the country. The realit

Greg Brown
Safety Library
Read More
Zero Laydown: Navigating the Logistics of Tight Urban Job Sites
August 2026

In modern commercial construction, spatial real estate has become just as valuable as the materials themselves. The industry shift toward high-density, urban projects means that the sprawling job sites of the past have been replaced by tight footprints wh

Shayne Sanders
MAP Partner
Read More