The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a final rule to prevent chronic beryllium disease and lung cancer in American workers by limiting their exposure to beryllium and beryllium compounds. The rule contains standards for general industry, construction, and shipyards. All three standards contained in the final rule took effect on May 20, 2017 and on May 11, 2018, OSHA began enforcing the rule.
OSHA has lowered the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for beryllium in general industry from 2 µg/m3 to 0.2 µg/m3 (8-hour TWA). This is a 10-fold decrease in the allowable exposure limit. OSHA also added a 0.1ug/m3 action level.
SGS Galson has the capability in place to handle this change, providing defensible data to the detection limit required. We make it easy for you to collect samples with FREE MEDIA and FREE SAMPLING PUMPS.
What You Need to Know About Your Laboratory and Beryllium
The AIHA Proficiency Analytical Testing (PAT) and Laboratory Accreditation Programs realized the issue of beryllium testing and the specific difficulty in testing for beryllium oxide (BeO). A study was commissioned in 2009 by the Beryllium Health and Safety Committee (BHSC) Sampling and Analysis Subcommittee (SAS) to look at BeO sample digestion issues. In 2010, the AIHA PAT program introduced a pilot study to determine the ability of its participants to adequately digest samples containing BeO.
The study revealed that some laboratories were not adequately digesting the more complex, less soluble compounds of beryllium. SGS Galson has participated and been found proficient in the BeO PAT program since its inception – over eight continuous years. If you suspect you have difficult-to-digest beryllium material that exist in typical work sites where beryllium is found, you will want to make sure you are using a laboratory proficient in the AIHA PAT program for BeO. There are less than 20 AIHA accredited labs in the world that can analyze BE and BEO.
You can totally rely on one company, SGS Galson, to help you comply with the new OSHA beryllium rule. Contact me any time with your questions at 315-427-4222 or: Edward.Stuber@SGS.com. You can also contact our award-winning Client Service Representatives
We look forward to helping you!