Hexavalent Chromium

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has determined that workers exposed to previously acceptable limits of Hexavalent Chromium are at an increased risk of developing lung cancer, asthma and damage to nasal and skin tissue. 

Over 500,000 workers may have full time exposure while millions of workers may have part-time exposure to Hexavalent Chromium.  These employees work in welding, painting, electroplating, steel mills, foundries and dozens of other jobs.

On February 28, 2006 OSHA published new standards for the protection of workers with occupational exposure to Hexavalent Chromium.  With few exceptions this new regulation applies to all workers with jobs considered "At Risk" for exposure to Hexavalent Chromium.

For years Hexavalent Chromium compounds have been regulated many different ways.  For the construction (29 CFR 1926) and shipyard (29 CFR 1915) industries OSHA required that employee exposure not exceed 0.1 mg/m3 (100 µg/m3) for an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA).

Yet for general industry (29 CFR 1910), Marine Terminals (29 CFR 1917) and Longshoring (29 CFR 1918) OSHA regulations only provided a protection ceiling of 1 mg/10m3 (100 µg/m3). This meant that employee exposure in these industries could not exceed these amounts for any 10-minute period.

One hexavalent chromium compound, tert-Butyl chromate, had a 0.1 mg/m3 (100 µg/m3) ceiling concentration limit for all industries.

There is a specific standard for general industry, shipyards and construction. Marine Terminals and Longshoring are covered by either the general industry or shipyard standard depending on the work being done.

The final rule establishes a new Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 5 micrograms of hexavalent chromium per cubic meter of air (5 µg/m³) for an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA). 

Each of the regulations also have requirements for,

• Exposure determination,

• Engineering and work practice controls,

• Respiratory protection,

• Protective work clothing and equipment,

• Hygiene areas and practices,

• Medical surveillance,

• Communication of hazards to employees,

• Recordkeeping.

While most of the requirements are identical in all three standards there are some exceptions.

• Exposures while applying pesticides or working with
  
  portland cement are not covered.

• Requirements for regulated areas do not apply to the
  
  construction or shipyard industries. 

Employers must implement all feasible engineering and work practice controls to reduce employee exposure to hexavalent chromium.  When these are not sufficient to reduce exposure to or below the PEL the employer may then implement respirator protection. Yet for painting of aircraft or large aircraft parts the employer need only use engineering and work practice controls to reduce employee exposure to 25 µg/m3 before implementing respiratory protection.

For employers with 20 or more employees all requirements of this standard, except for engineering controls, are effective November 27, 2006.  For employers with 19 or less employees the standard's requirements are in effect, except for engineering controls, on May 20, 2007.  All employers have until May 31, 2010 to implement engineering and work practice controls.

UNDERSTANDING THE STANDARD

• What is Hexavalent Chromium?

• What are the health risks?

• Who is at risk for exposure?

• How chromium can convert to hexavalent chromium: Example-welding and torch cutting.

 FOR MORE INFORMATION- CONTACT US