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1950. OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO PERCHLOROETHYLENE

Priority: Economically Significant. Major status under 5 USC 801 is undetermined.

Unfunded Mandates: Undetermined

Legal Authority: 29 USC 655(b); 29 USC 657

CFR Citation: 29 CFR 1910.1000

Legal Deadline: None

Abstract: OSHA intends to issue an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) to address the hazards associated with occupational exposure to perchloroethylene (also called "tetrachloroethylene") (CAS 127-18-4). OSHA's limits for this substance are 100 ppm as an 8-hour TWA; 200 ppm as a 15-minute ceiling; and 300 ppm as a 5-minute peak not to be exceeded in any 3-hour period (29 CFR 1910.1000). These limits have been in place for nearly 30 years and are widely recognized as being inadequately protective. NIOSH classifies perchloroethylene as an occupational carcinogen. Workers exposed to perchloroethylene may experience sensory irritation, narcosis, liver damage, and cancer. The ANPR will solicit information from interested parties on the risk, current exposure levels, current industry control practices, and feasible means of achieving reductions in existing exposure levels among workers in perchloroethylene-using industries. It will also request information on the health risks posed to workers by alternative processes and solvents, including new detergent formulations.

Timetable:
Action Date FR Cite
ANPRM 11/00/01  

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Undetermined

Government Levels Affected: None

Agency Contact: Marthe B. Kent, Acting Director, Directorate of Health Standards Programs, Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Room N3718, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, FP Building, Washington, DC 20210
Phone: 202 693-1950
Fax: 202 693-1678

RIN: 1218-AB86

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