Who is OSHA and what do they have to do with my home?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Labor that oversees workplace safety for employers, including contractors in the building and construction business. Contractors who build or remodel your home are required to comply with OSHA regulations to keep the work environment safe for their workers. These regulations do not directly affect you or your home.
Are James Hardie fiber cement products safe to put on homes?
Yes. There is insignificant dust generated from fiber cement once it’s installed on the home.
Is it safe for me or my family to be in or around my house when installers are cutting fiber cement siding?
Yes. Installers who cut fiber cement siding according to our instructions will not put you or your family at risk. The risk from silica dust comes with frequent, long-term overexposure over years when our product is not cut to our guidelines.
Is this change going to slow down the crew’s timeline to finish my home?
No, it will not. We have several current solutions and are evaluating new practices designed with efficiency in mind, so you should see no slowdown in installation time.
I have JH on my home now, what do I need to worry about?
You don’t have to worry. Dust is only generated when the product is cut, not after it’s installed on the home.
I am getting James Hardie siding installed on my house right now, and while the contractor appears to be collecting a lot of the dust, there seems to be a lot blowing onto my property. What do I do about this? Should I be worried?
This isn’t something you need to worry about. This is more of a nuisance issue, not a health-related one. If any kind of dust is blowing onto your property, you should talk to your contractor about dust control practices. Contractors have an obligation to control dust like this where they are working.
How do I know whether the siding is being safely installed on my house?
It’s always a good idea to talk to your contractor about what kind of safe cutting methods they are using before your siding job starts. And you can always refer to www.jhsafesite.com or call the James Hardie technical desk at 800-942-7343 to find our recommended cutting methods and practices. You should feel free to talk to your contractor about safe cutting while your siding job is underway, as well.
How are fiber cement products safe if silica dust is released when cutting them?
When our fiber cement products are cut per our guidelines, the amount of dust produced is minimized and they are compliant with PEL standards.
Are you changing anything with how James Hardie fiber cement products are manufactured?
No, there’s no need to. This is not a product issue – our fiber cement products are inherently safe when cut according to our guidelines.
How do you now compare to other siding options? Do they have this same issue?
Every type of siding, regardless of whether it’s wood, wood composite siding, bricks, stone or fiber cement, produces dust when it’s cut and is subject to a PEL standard. James Hardie leads all siding manufacturers in providing resources in the field that help enable our customers to comply with the new PEL standard.
