A New Beryllium Standard

摘要

A proposal to set a lower exposure standard for beryllium and beryllium-containing materials will affect how the plastics industry handles and processes these materials. To better protect industry workers, a proposal was issued in August by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that would set a new, lower exposure standard specifically for beryllium and beryllium-containing materials. If this proposed standard is adopted, it will reduce OSHA's current permissible exposure limit (PEL) for beryllium from 2.0 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m~3) to 0.2 μg/m~3 as an 8-hour time-weighted average. In addition, it would create a short-term exposure limit of 2μg/m~3 for a 15-minute period and require personal protective equipment, medical exams, other medical surveillance and training.