This topic covers Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs), which are numeric standards that determine how long a worker may be exposed in the workplace to a threshold amount of an airborne contaminant without adverse health effects.
OSHA has developed PELs for various forms of approximately 300 chemical substances. To achieve compliance, a facility must determine and implement administrative and engineering controls for chemical exposure when feasible and require the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other protective measures when necessary. PELs (including exposure time and concentration levels) for regulated substances are given in Tables Z-1, Z-2, and Z-3 in 29 CFR 1910.1000 Subpart Z.
For related resources and training materials, refer to the following topics: