OSHA Acknowledges that Federal Limits on Hazardous Chemicals that Workers are Exposed to are Out of Date

Cinnaminson, NJ, November 7, 2013

Last month, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published a news release that discussed the agencies position that exposure standards are out of date and do not adequately protect workers from the small number of chemicals that are regulated in the workplace.

OSHA is attempting to address this by providing two new resources. The first is a toolkit to identify safer chemicals that can be used in place of more hazardous ones. This toolkit walks employers and workers step-by-step through information, methods, tools and guidance to either eliminate hazardous chemicals or make informed substitution decisions in the workplace by finding a safer chemical, material, product or process.  The second is a new web resource: the Annotated Permissible Exposure Limits, or annotated PEL tables, which will enable employers to voluntarily adopt newer, more protective workplace exposure limits.

“There is no question that many of OSHA’s chemical standards are not adequately protective,” stated Dr. David Michaels, Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA. “I advise employers, who want to ensure that their workplaces are safe, to utilize the occupational exposure limits on these annotated tables, since simply complying with OSHA’s antiquated PELs will not guarantee that workers will be safe.”

EMSL Analytical has been providing occupational testing services to help protect workers for over 25 years.  “It is important for employers to pro-actively take notice of OSHA’s new voluntary annotated PEL tables. This movement is a sign of where OSHA regulations will likely be changing in the near future. Employers should use the tables to select appropriate and feasible exposure limits for protecting employee health,” said Vincent M. Daliessio, CIH, Project Manager at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “Our scientists and laboratory technicians are ready and available to provide analytical services to employers and consultants seeking to use these new annotated PEL tables. EMSL also provides a full array of testing equipment and sampling media to collective a wide range of chemical and biological materials.”

To learn more about OSHA’s new annotated PEL tables or industrial hygiene testing services, please visit www.EMSL.com, call (800)220-3675, or email info@EMSL.com .

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider of environmental and materials testing services and products to professionals and the general public. The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies.

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

EMSL Analytical

(1) 1-800-220-3675

jfrasca@emsl.com