Cotton Dust

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1910.1043 – Cotton Dust

(d)(4) – Employee notification.

(i) The employer must, within 15 working days after the receipt of the results of any monitoring performed under this section, notify each affected employee of these results either individually in writing or by posting the results in an appropriate location that is accessible to employees.

(ii) Whenever the results indicate that the employee’s exposure exceeds the applicable permissible exposure limit specified in paragraph (c) of this section, the employer shall include in the written notice a statement that the permissible exposure limit was exceeded and a description of the corrective action taken to reduce exposure below the permissible exposure limit.

(f)(2)(i) – The employer must implement a respiratory protection program in accordance with § 1910.134(b) through (d) (except (d)(1)(iii)), and (f) through (m), which covers each employee required by this section to use a respirator.

(i)(1) – Training program.

(i) The employer shall train each employee exposed to cotton dust in accordance with the requirements of this section. The employer shall institute a training program and ensure employee participation in the program.

(A) – The acute and long term health hazards associated with exposure to cotton dust;

(B) – The names and descriptions of jobs and processes which could result in exposure to cotton dust at or above the PEL.

(C) – The measures, including work practices required by paragraph (g) of this section, necessary to protect the employee from exposures in excess of the permissible exposure limit;

(D) – The purpose, proper use and limitations of respirators required by paragraph (f) of this section;

(E) – The purpose for and a description of the medical surveillance program required by paragraph (h) of this section and other information which will aid exposed employees in understanding the hazards of cotton dust exposure; and

(F) – The contents of this standard and its appendices.

(i)(1)(ii) – The training program shall be provided prior to initial assignment and shall be repeated annually for each employee exposed to cotton dust, when job assignments or work processes change and when employee performance indicates a need for retraining.

(i)(2)(i) – Each employer shall post a copy of this section with its appendices in a public location at the workplace, and shall, upon request, make copies available to employees.

(l)(1) – The employer shall provide affected employees or their designated representatives an opportunity to observe any measuring or monitoring of employee exposure to cotton dust conducted pursuant to paragraph (d) of this section.