OSHA’s proposed amendments to its 2017 revised standard to protect workers in general industry exposed to beryllium would not amend the two central parts of that rule—a new permissible exposure limit (PEL) for beryllium of 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3) of air averaged over 8 hours and a new short-term exposure limit for beryllium of 2.0 μg/m3 of air over a 15-minute sampling period. However, the proposal is still far-reaching in how it seeks to amend other parts of the 2017 standard.

OSHA has announced a proposed rule to revise the beryllium standard for general industry. According to the agency, the proposed changes are designed to clarify the standard and to simplify or improve compliance with the standard. The proposal is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on December 11.

An administrative law judge with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) took the middle ground in a dispute between OSHA and a small grain seed-handling business in North Dakota over the amount of a monetary penalty OSHA assessed for multiple violations of worker safety standards.

December 11, 2018 (Proposed Rule) - On January 9, 2017, OSHA issued a final rule adopting a comprehensive general industry standard for occupational exposure to beryllium and beryllium compounds. In this proposed rule, OSHA is proposing to modify the general industry standard to clarify certain provisions and simplify or improve compliance.