A Review of the History of Metal Removal Fluid Regulation And the Impact of Proposed Regulations

摘要

Tool wear during machining operations affects the overall economics of the process. Without proper lubrication, the frictional forces generated by the process can result in excessive tool wear, tool breakage and poor finished part quality. Beyond these concerns impending government regulations have directed attention to the potential impact of metalforming and machining lubricants upon worker health and safety. For the metalforming and machining industries the new millennium will bring fresh challenges in terms of the potential for new Federal health and safety standards relative to metalworking lubricants. The OSHA Metalworking Fluids Standards Advisory Committee (MWFSAC) voted to send a report to Charles Jeffress, Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, recommending that OSHA promulgate a 6(b)(5) standard for metalworking fluids. The Standard would include a new Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 0.5 mg/m{sup}3 "total particulate", systems management, exposure assessment, medical surveillance and expanded health and safety training requirements. The new initiative as well as other impending Federal health and safety regulations will have a tremendous impact on the metal machining industry. This paper will provide an overview of the MWFSAC recommendations and provide an update of self-regulatory alternatives to the impending regulations.