Silica Abatement

In April 2017, the Government of Canada presented the Marijuana Act and introduced amendments to the Criminal Code to make non-medical Marijuana legal in Canada as of October 17, 2018. Government organizations are launching awareness campaigns to educate employers and workers about impairment in the workplace and in the community. 

Silica is one of the most common hazards on a worksite, particularly in the construction, oil and gas, manufacturing, and agriculture industries. Silica dust can cause silicosis and irreversible lung disease. It can also cause lung cancer. Cutting, breaking, crushing, drilling, grinding, or blasting concrete or stone releases the dust. As workers breathe in the dust the silica settles in their lungs. In both USA and Canada, Governments are now acting to reduce this as much as possible. This seminar will cover what you need to know about implementing a new silica abatement standard.

1. What is the Newly accepted Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for silica;
2. Establishing a written exposure plan;
3. Validating the employees in the abatement;
4. Offering medical examinations for exposed workers;
5. Training your employees;
6. Providing personal protective equipment for employees;
7. Measuring the silica levels in the abatement process; and
8. Keeping accurate workplace records of the asbestos abatement.x`

Patrick Martens is the CEO of an Alberta company that has been in the business of teaching management and safety to the oil and gas industry since 1994. More recently, his focus has been on the integration of management, safety and the environment in maintaining a safe workplace in the restoration industry.

Pat has Bachelor degrees in both Science and Education plus a Master's degree in Educational Leadership. The Majors in University in Microbiology and Zoology were the prime motivators for his interest in the development of the many environmental hazard seminars that he has developed and delivered for adjusters and property managers. His research and collaboration with the leading environmental researchers in the USA have provided him with the most recent mitigation practices. This research has extended beyond mould and into asbestos, lead, odour, forensics, methamphetamine, fentanyl and many others. The world is changing and it is imperative we in the industry stay ahead of the game in keeping our clients and their families safe and healthy.