OSHA beryllium enforcement ramps up March 11

Standards in flux

The beryllium standards for general industry and construction and shipyards are in flux. The standards have gone through several changes over the past two years:

• In the waning days of the Obama administration, OSHA published final rules for general industry, as well as construction sites and shipyards.
• Following his inauguration, President Donald Trump ordered executive departments to freeze the effective dates of regulations that had not yet taken effect for at least 60 days.
• OSHA further delayed the effective date from March 21 to May 20, 2017.
• OSHA proposed in June 2017 to rescind the ancillary provisions of the rule for construction and shipyards, retaining only the new PEL and short-term exposure limit (STEL).
• The agency then instructed regional administrators to delay enforcement of the standard to May 11, 2018.
• OSHA then extended the compliance date for specific ancillary requirements of the general industry beryllium standard (methods of compliance, beryllium work areas, regulated areas, personal protective clothing and equipment, hygiene facilities and practices, housekeeping, communication of hazards, and recordkeeping) to December 12, 2018.
• The agency December 11, 2018, issued a new proposed rule amending provisions of the standard and replacing an appendix to the standard.

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