What silica training does OSHA require in construction?
Updated October 16, 2026
Under 29 CFR 1926.1153(i), each employee covered by the construction silica standard must be able to demonstrate knowledge of silica health hazards, the tasks that expose them, the employer's protective measures, the standard itself, the designated competent person, and the medical surveillance program. Silica must also be addressed in the employer's hazard communication program.
Hazard communication comes first
Section 1926.1153(i)(1) requires the employer to include respirable crystalline silica in its hazard communication program under 29 CFR 1910.1200. Employees must have access to labels on containers of crystalline silica and to safety data sheets, and must be trained on cancer, lung effects, immune system effects, and kidney effects.
This means silica training is in addition to, not a replacement for, HazCom training.
Required training content
Section 1926.1153(i)(2)(i) requires the employer to ensure that each covered employee can demonstrate knowledge and understanding of at least: the health hazards associated with exposure to respirable crystalline silica; the specific tasks in the workplace that could result in exposure; the specific measures the employer has implemented to protect employees, including engineering controls, work practices, and respirators; the contents of the silica standard; the identity of the competent person designated by the employer; and the purpose and a description of the medical surveillance program.
The standard uses a demonstration test: the employee must be able to show understanding, not just attend a session. Section 1926.1153(i)(2)(ii) also requires the employer to make a copy of the standard readily available without cost.
Table 1 and site-specific controls
Section 1926.1153(c) and Table 1 list common construction tasks, such as cutting with handheld saws, drilling, jackhammering, and grinding, with the engineering controls, work practices, and respiratory protection specified for each. Under 1926.1153(c)(1), the employer must fully and properly implement the Table 1 controls for a listed task unless it assesses and limits exposure under the alternative exposure control methods in 1926.1153(d), which also cover tasks not listed in Table 1.
Because training must cover the specific tasks and measures used in the workplace, workers need instruction on the actual Table 1 controls or exposure controls their employer uses.
Competent person and medical surveillance
Section 1926.1153(g)(4) requires the employer's written exposure control plan to designate a competent person to make frequent and regular inspections of job sites, materials, and equipment. Employees must be told who that person is.
Section 1926.1153(h)(1)(i) requires the employer to make medical surveillance available at no cost to each employee who will be required to use a respirator for 30 or more days per year. Under 1926.1153(h)(3), periodic examinations are required at least every three years, or more often if recommended by the physician or other licensed health care professional.
How often training is required
The silica standard does not set an annual refresher interval for training. The requirement is ongoing: each covered employee must be able to demonstrate the listed knowledge. The written exposure control plan, by contrast, must be reviewed at least annually under 1926.1153(g)(2).