OSHA Revises Hexavalent Chromium Standards

OSHA is proposing new regulations that lower the permissible exposure limits for workers exposed to hexavalent chromium and its compounds in construction, shipyards, and general industry. The regulations lower the exposure level from 52 mg of Cr(VI) per m3 of air, averaged over eight hours, to 1 mg per m3 of air. It includes measures for employee protection and record keeping. According to OSHA, hexavalent chromium compounds are widely used in the chemical industry in pigments, metal plating, and chemical synthesis as ingredients and catalysts. Health problems associated with exposure to these compounds include lung cancer, asthma, nasal septum ulcerations, skin ulcerations, and contact dermatitis. OSHA Administrator John Henshaw said in a statement, “The proposed rule is both economically and technologically feasible, and will substantially reduce the risk to workers.” The full proposal is published in the Oct. 4 issue of the Federal Register, page 95305, and the agency will accept public comments until Jan. 3, 2005.