OSHA: New
Directive on Hexavalent Chromium
[Posted 02/19/2008]
The
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
has issued a new compliance directive for
occupational exposure
to hexavalent chromium Cr(VI). The directive became
effective January 24, 2008.
The hexavalent chromium
standards were originally published in the February
28, 2006 Federal Register. These new
standards lower the permissible exposure limit for
hexavalent chromium to 5 micrograms of Cr(VI) per
cubic meter of air as an 8-hour time-weighted
average. Hexavalent chromium compounds are regularly
used in the chemical industry in pigments, metal
plating, and chemical synthesis. The health effects
associated with exposure to Cr(VI) include lung
cancer, nasal septum ulcerations and perforations,
skin ulcerations, and allergic and irritant contact
dermatitis.
Related Links:
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