Since this thread has popped back up I'll chime in. I was in charge of looking into the tightened OSHA rules for contractors when I was at MAPEI a few years ago and have to deal with OSHA regulations for my factory now. Some points to keep in mind:
Silicosis is a real thing and you should wear a respirator or use HEPA dust collection if you're generating respirable, crystalline silica dust.
Respirable silica dust is really small, typically not the visible dust you kick up at a job site
Products that don't contain crystalline silica won't cause silicosis. There are mortars and grouts available now that don't. Tile and stone only do if you dry grind/cut them.
Silicosis develops due to repeated exposure over a long duration, generally decades.
There
are limits out there considered safe and testing can be conducted to determine if you are above or below them during a certain activity
Educate yourself, protect yourself!
