In some states the monitoring is performed for free. A stakeholder from the refractory manufacturing industry suggested that exposure monitoring be conducted using homogeneous exposure groups, statistical analysis, and random selection. Another stakeholder from the construction industry stated that his firm performed silica sampling in-house. This firm collects approximately 125 samples per year. An employee or job is eliminated from the monitoring program when two sets of samples indicate compliance.
Foundries typically use consultants for monitoring.
Labs should be AIHA accredited and PAT proficient and must use particle size correction. OSHA citations for silica exposure in this firm were reduced from 47 in 1989 to 1 citation each in 1997 and 1998. He was concerned that x-rays might be misread. MRP may be misued because employees may choose to claim MRP when overtime is common and they would be better off financially than on regular pay. Annual physicals in this industry include chest x-ray, tuberculosis test, pulmonary function test.