OSHA’s hexavalent chromium fact sheet

In February, OSHA issued a new standard to lower the permissible exposure limit for hexavalent chromium from 52 to 5 micrograms per cubic meter of air (1910.1026).

Now, OSHA offers a Fact Sheet that provides companies with information about the health effects of hexavalent chromium.

The fact sheet discusses the major sources of hexavalent chromium; how it can harm employees; how it affects the skin; and how employees can be exposed to it.

The fact sheet also lists the steps OSHA has taken to protect employees from the health hazards of hexavalent chromium, from limiting the time they can be exposed to it to monitoring the workplace, providing the appropriate PPE and making medical examinations available to employees.

To see the fact sheet, go to: http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/hexavalent_chromium.pdf