November 19, 2009
May 31, 2010 was the compliance deadline for having engineering controls in place to keep hexavalent chromium exposures below the established 8-hour permissible exposure limit. OSHA inspections started emphasizing compliance with the hexavalent chromium standard.
29CFR1910.1026 Chromium (VI) states: “The employer shall ensure that no employee is exposed to an airborne concentration of chromium (VI) in excess of 5 micrograms per cubic meter of air (5 µg/m3), calculated as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA).”
The action level for airborne hexavalent chromium is one half the permissible exposure limit at 2.5 micrograms per cubic meter of air calculated as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA).”