OSHA launches a national dialogue on hazardous chemical exposures and permissible exposure limits in the workplace OSHA is launching a national dialogue with stakeholders on ways to prevent work-related illness caused by exposure to hazardous substances. The first stage of this dialogue is a request for information on the management of hazardous chemical exposures in the workplace and strategies for updating permissible exposure limits. Many of our chemical exposure standards are dangerously out of date and do not adequately protect workers, said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. While we will continue to work on issuing and updating our workplace exposure limits, we are asking public health experts, chemical manufacturers, employers, unions and others committed to preventing workplace illnesses to help us identify new approaches to address chemical hazards. OSHAs PELs, which are regulatory limits on the amount or concentration of a substance in the air, are intended to protect workers against the adverse health effects of exposure to hazardous substances. Ninety-five percent of OSHAs current limits, which cover fewer than 500 chemicals, have not been updated since their adoption in 1971. The agencys current PELs cover only a small fraction of the tens of thousands of chemicals in commerce, many of which are suspected of being harmful. Limits can be found here: https://osha.gov/dsg/topics/pel/
Posted on: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 14:58:08 +0000
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