Action level means a concentration of airborne beryllium of 0.1 micrograms per cubic meter of air (µg/m3) calculated as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA).
Airborne exposure and airborne exposure to beryllium mean the exposure to airborne beryllium that would occur if the employee were not using a respirator.
Beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test (BeLPT) means the measurement of blood lymphocyte proliferation in a laboratory test when lymphocytes are challenged with a soluble beryllium salt.
Beryllium work area means any work area containing a process or operation that can release beryllium where employees are, or can reasonably be expected to be, exposed to airborne beryllium at any level or where there is the potential for dermal contact with beryllium.
CBD diagnostic center means a medical diagnostic center that has an on-site pulmonary specialist and on-site facilities to perform a clinical evaluation for the presence of chronic beryllium disease (CBD). This evaluation must include pulmonary function testing (as outlined by the American Thoracic Society criteria), bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), and transbronchial biopsy. The CBD diagnostic center must also have the capacity to transfer BAL samples to a laboratory for appropriate diagnostic testing within 24 hours. The on-site pulmonary specialist must be able to interpret the biopsy pathology and the BAL diagnostic test results.
Chief means the Chief of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or designee.
Chronic beryllium disease (CBD) means a chronic lung disease associated with airborne exposure to beryllium.
Confirmed positive means the person tested has beryllium sensitization, as indicated by two abnormal BeLPT test results, an abnormal and a borderline test result, or three borderline test results. It also means the result of a more reliable and accurate test indicating a person has been identified as having beryllium sensitization.
Director means the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or designee.
Emergency means any uncontrolled release of airborne beryllium.
High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter means a filter that is at least 99.97 percent efficient in removing particles 0.3 micrometers in diameter.
Objective data means information, such as air monitoring data from industry-wide surveys or calculations based on the composition of a substance, demonstrating airborne exposure to beryllium associated with a particular product or material or a specific process, task, or activity. The data must reflect workplace conditions closely resembling or with a higher airborne exposure potential than the processes, types of material, control methods, work practices, and environmental conditions in the employer's current operations.
Physician or other licensed health care professional (PLHCP) means an individual whose legally permitted scope of practice (i.e., license, registration, or certification) allows the individual to independently provide or be delegated the responsibility to provide some or all of the health care services required by subsection (k).
Regulated area means an area, including temporary work areas where maintenance or non-routine tasks are performed, where an employee's airborne exposure exceeds, or can reasonably be expected to exceed, either the time-weighted average (TWA) permissible exposure limit (PEL) or short term exposure limit (STEL).
This standard means this beryllium standard, Section 5205.
Appendix A to § 5205 Control Strategies To Minimize Beryllium Exposure (Non-Mandatory)
Subsection (f)(2)(A) requires employers to use one or more of the control methods listed in subsection (f)(2)(A) to minimize worker exposure in each operation in a beryllium work area, unless the operation is exempt under subsection (f)(2)(B). This appendix sets forth a non-exhaustive list of control options that employers could use to comply with subsection (f)(2)(A) for a number of specific beryllium operations.
TABLE A. -- EXPOSURE CONTROL RECOMMENDATIONS
Operation | Minimal control strategy | Application group | |
Beryllium Oxide Forming (e.g., | For pressing operations: | Primary Beryllium | |
pressing, extruding). | (1) Install local exhaust ventilation (LEV) on oxide press tables, oxide feed drum breaks, press tumblers, powder rollers, and die set disassembly stations; and | Production Beryllium Oxide Ceramics and Composites. | |
(2) Enclose the oxide presses; | |||
(3) Install mechanical ventilation (make-up air) in processing areas. | |||
For extruding operations: | |||
(1) Install LEV on extruder powder loading hoods, oxide supply bottles, rod breaking operations, centerless grinders, rod laydown tables, dicing operations, surface grinders, discharge end of extrusion presses; | |||
(2) Enclose the centerless grinders; and | |||
(3) Install mechanical ventilation (make-up air) in processing areas. | |||
Chemical Processing Operations (e.g., | For medium and high gassing operations: | Primary Beryllium | |
leaching, pickling, degreasing, etching, | (1) Perform operation with a hood having a maximum of one open side; and | Production; Beryllium | |
plating). | (2) Design process so as to minimize spills; if accidental spills occur, perform immediate cleanup. | Oxide Ceramics and Composites; Copper Rolling, Drawing and Extruding. | |
Finishing (e.g., grinding, sanding, polishing, deburring). | (1) Perform portable finishing operations in a ventilated hood. The hood should include both downdraft and backdraft ventilation, and have at least two sides and a top | Secondary Smelting; Fabrication of Beryllium Alloy Products; Dental Labs. | |
(2) Perform stationary finishing operations using a ventilated and enclosed hood at the point of operation. The grinding wheel of the stationary unit should be enclosed and ventilated. | |||
Furnace Operations (e.g., Melting and Casting). | (1) Use LEV on furnaces, pelletizer; arc furnace ingot machine discharge; pellet sampling; arc furnace bins and conveyors; beryllium hydroxide drum dumper and dryer; furnace rebuilding; furnace tool holders; arc furnace tundish and tundish skimming, tundish preheat hood, and tundish cleaning hoods; dross handling equipment and drums; dross recycling; and tool repair station, charge make-up station, oxide screener, product sampling locations, drum changing stations, and drum cleaning stations. | Primary Beryllium Production; Beryllium Oxide Ceramics and Composites; Nonferrous Foundries; Secondary Smelting. | |
(2) Use mechanical ventilation (make-up air) in furnace building. | |||
Machining | Use (1) LEV consistent with ACGIH® ventilation guidelines on deburring hoods, wet surface grinder enclosures, belt sanding hoods, and electrical discharge machines (for operations such as polishing, lapping, and buffing); | Primary Beryllium Production; Beryllium Oxide Ceramics and | |
(2) high velocity low volume hoods or ventilated enclosures on lathes, vertical mills, CNC mills, and tool grinding operations; | Composites; Copper Rolling, Drawing, and | ||
(3) for beryllium oxide ceramics, LEV on lapping, dicing, and laser cutting; and | Extruding; Precision Turned | ||
(4) wet methods (e.g., coolants). | Products. | ||
Mechanical Processing (e.g., material | (1) Enclose and ventilate sources of emission; | Primary Beryllium | |
handling (including scrap), sorting, | (2) Prohibit open handling of materials; and | Production; Beryllium | |
crushing, screening, pulverizing, shredding, pouring, mixing, blending. | (3) Use mechanical ventilation (make-up air) in processing areas. | Oxide Ceramics and Composites; Aluminum and Copper Foundries; Secondary Smelting. | |
Metal Forming (e.g., rolling, drawing, straightening, annealing, extruding) | (1) For rolling operations, install LEV on mill stands and reels such that a hood extends the length of the mill; | Primary Beryllium Production; Copper Rolling, | |
(2) For point and chamfer operations, install LEV hoods at both ends of the rod; | Drawing, and Extruding; | ||
(3) For annealing operations, provide an inert atmosphere for annealing furnaces, and LEV hoods at entry and exit points; | Fabrication of Beryllium Alloy Products. | ||
(4) For swaging operations, install LEV on the cutting head | |||
(5) For drawing, straightening, and extruding operations, install LEV at entry and exit points; and | |||
(6) For all metal forming operations, install mechanical ventilation (make-up air) for processing areas | |||
Welding | For fixed welding operations: | Primary Beryllium | |
(1) Enclose work locations around the source of fume generation and use local exhaust ventilation; and | Production; Fabrication of Beryllium Alloy Products; | ||
(2) Install close capture hood enclosure designed so as to minimize fume emission from the enclosure welding operation. | Welding | ||
For manual operations: | |||
(1) Use portable local exhaust and general ventilation |
Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 8, § 5205
Note: Authority cited: Sections 142.3, 9020, 9030 and 9040, Labor Code. Reference: Sections 142.3, 9004(d), 9009, 9020, 9031 and 9040, Labor Code.