6/7/2018 OSHA to extend compliance date for parts of general industry beryllium standard | 2018-05-31 | Safety+Health Magazine

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OSHA to extend compliance date for parts of

general industry beryllium standard
May 31, 2018

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6/7/2018 OSHA to extend compliance date for parts of general industry beryllium standard | 2018-05-31 | Safety+Health Magazine

Photo: JacobH/iStockphoto

UPDATE:
This story has been updated to reflect publication of the proposed rule in the
Federal Register
.

Washington — OSHA has published a proposed rule intended to give the agency enough
time to make alterations to its
beryllium standard for general industry
(https://www.osha.gov/berylliumrule/GeneralIndustry_Beryllium_Regulatory_text.pdf)
.

OSHA states that it will push to Dec. 12 the compliance date for ancillary requirements in
the standard that pertain to “all processes, operations or areas where workers may be
exposed to materials containing beryllium that fall under the scope of the general industry
standard.”

The notice of proposed rulemaking,

http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/17117-osha-to-extend-compliance-date-for-parts-of-general-industry-beryllium-standard 2/6
 published (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/06/01/2018-
6/7/2018 OSHA to extend compliance date for parts of general industry beryllium standard | 2018-05-31 | Safety+Health Magazine

11643/limited-extension-of-select-compliance-dates-for-occupational-exposure-to-
beryllium-in-general?
utm_campaign=subscription%20mailing%20list&utm_source=federalregister.gov&utm_
medium=email)
in the June 1
Federal Register
, is expected to pave the way for another NPRM that “is designed to clarify the standard
and to simplify compliance.”

OSHA is issuing the NPRMs as part of its

settlement agreement (http://src.bna.com/ymC)
, signed April 24, with the National Association of Manufacturers, AirBorn Inc.,
Materion Brush Inc. and Mead Metals Inc.

On May 7, OSHA issued a

direct final rule (http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/16971-osha-to-
extend-compliance-date-change-ancillary-provisions-in-beryllium-standard-for-general-
industry)
as part of its agreement with those petitioners. The direct final rule is intended to “clarify
certain definitions and provisions for disposal/recycling, along with those that apply in
cases of potential skin exposure to materials containing at least 0.1 percent beryllium by
weight.” It is expected to go into effect July 4.

The only ancillary provisions not affected by the June 1 NPRM are those pertaining to
change rooms/showers and engineering controls. The first has a compliance date of
March 11, 2019; the latter will begin March 10, 2020.

The agency issued another

proposed rule in June 2017 (http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/15874-
beryllium-rule-osha-seeks-to-eliminate-provisions-aimed-at-construction-shipyard-
workers)
that seeks to remove ancillary provisions – such as those addressing housekeeping and
personal protective equipment – from the beryllium standard in the construction and
shipyard industries. The new permissible exposure limit of 0.2 micrograms of beryllium
http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/17117-osha-to-extend-compliance-date-for-parts-of-general-industry-beryllium-standard 3/6
 per cubic meter of air would remain in place, as would the short-term exposure limit of 2
6/7/2018 OSHA to extend compliance date for parts of general industry beryllium standard | 2018-05-31 | Safety+Health Magazine

micrograms per cubic meter of air.

Beryllium is a strong, lightweight metal used in electronics and the defense industry,
among others. Overexposure can cause serious health risks, including incurable chronic
beryllium disease and lung cancer.

OSHA estimates that 62,000 workers are exposed to beryllium every year. The agency has
projected that the updated regulations will save 90 lives from beryllium-related disease
and prevent 46 new cases of chronic beryllium disease each year.

Comments on the NPRM are due June 30.

Related Articles

OSHA to extend compliance date, change

ancillary provisions in beryllium standard for
general industry
(http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/
articles/16971-osha-to-extend-compliance-
date-change-ancillary-provisions-in-
beryllium-standard-for-general-industry)
OSHA delays enforcement of beryllium
standards
(http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/
articles/16755-osha-delays-enforcement-
of-beryllium-standards)
http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/17117-osha-to-extend-compliance-date-for-parts-of-general-industry-beryllium-standard 4/6
 Final rule on beryllium: OSHA pushes
6/7/2018 OSHA to extend compliance date for parts of general industry beryllium standard | 2018-05-31 | Safety+Health Magazine

effective date to May 20

(http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/
articles/15487- nal-rule-on-beryllium-
osha-pushes-effective-date-to-may-20)
OSHA releases nal rule updating decades-
old beryllium exposure limits
(http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/
articles/15149-osha-releases- nal-rule-
updating-beryllium-exposure-limits)
DOL delays effective date of beryllium rule
(http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/
articles/15390-dol-proposes-delaying-
effective-date-of-beryllium-rule)
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