Washington – OSHA has rescheduled an informal public hearing intended to gather more input on the agency’s proposed rule on beryllium.
The hearing originally was slated for Feb. 29, but is now scheduled to take place March 21 at 2 p.m. If necessary, the hearing will continue into subsequent days.
OSHA published its beryllium proposal on Aug. 7. The rule would decrease the permissible exposure limit for the element by 90 percent, require medical surveillance, and mandate employee training and personal protective equipment. The formal comment period ended Nov. 5.
Beryllium exposure is linked to lung cancer, and workers exposed to beryllium particles are at risk of developing a fatal and incurable lung condition known as chronic beryllium disease.
