G4: EPA's Intervention Into Workplace Health and Safety — A Paradigm Shift

Kansas City Convention Center 

Room: 2504 A 

CM Credit Hours: 1 

The 2016 Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety was enacted to bring significant updates to the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). One aspect of the new EPA regulations has been to reduce workplace exposures by orders of magnitude. For example, OSHA's PELs for asbestos and methylene chloride are 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter of air (f/cc) and 25 ppm. EPA's new existing chemical exposure limits (ECELs) for these chemicals are 0.005 f/cc and 2 ppm, respectively. With these new lower EPA exposure limits there will be a need for: a) new controls; b) more hazard assessments; c) new sampling and analytical methods; d) more recordkeeping and documentation; and e) additional staffing. IHs and S&H professional organizations need to get involved in the evolving compliance and regulatory processes to avoid redundancy in regulations, conflicting standards, new analytical methods, and burdensome recordkeeping. The purpose of this presentation is to highlight the need for companies to adjust to the new chemical regulations and to the challenges the current activities of the EPA may pose.

Upon completion, the participant will be able to:

• Review the 2016 amendments to TSCA and their implications.
• Summarize the risk-based prioritization process.
• Discuss EPA's new existing chemical exposure limits (ECELs).
• Recognize the impacts of the new lower EPA exposure limits.
• Influence the IH involvement in the compliance and regulatory process.
• Explain the impact of EPA efforts on worker safety and health. 

Intermediate

Q&A

Corporation/Company

All Industries

Also part of the Virtual Program

Available as part of AIHA Connect OnDemand

Exposure/Control Banding

Standards, Regulations and Legal Issues