OSHA to reduce asphalt, cleaning agent fumes
American workers will be exposed to far less of two dangerous fumes as new exposure standards are phased in over the next three years. Asphalt fumes will be reduced by 80%, and the cancer risk from methylene chloride exposure will be cut by 97%, according to estimates from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in Washington, DC.
OSHA endorses an agreement between the National Asphalt Pavement Association in Lanham Seabrook, MD, the Federal Highway Administration in Washington, DC, and several other paving-related associations. The agreement requires manufacturers to incorporate ventilation systems in new asphalt paving equipment after July 1. Self-propelled pavers weighing eight tons or more will have to have a ventilation system that captures at least 80% of the asphalt fumes. The system also will draw off some of the heat from the operation, providing another benefit to workers. Retrofit kits might be available for some older pavers.
In a separate action, OSHA recently enacted a standard that will establish an eight-hour time-weighted permissible exposure limit (PEL) for methylene chloride of 25 parts per million parts air (ppm). The standard also sets a 15-minute short-term exposure level of 125 ppm and 12.5 ppm action level. The previous standard allowed a 500 ppm PEL and a 1,000 ppm ceiling limit.
About 237,000 American workers use methylene chloride to strip paint, clean metal parts, and produce foam cushions. OSHA estimates that the new standard, phased in over three years, eventually will save 34 lives a year.
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