After being enforced for a little over 2 years, the 2018 beryllium standards for construction are being revised to clarify the administration’s standards, and simplify and improve compliance, after pushback from industry groups. This move was also announced in the recently released Spring 2020 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions from the White House.
OSHA announced the revision to the final rule on Friday, August 28th, a change that was lauded by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), the National Association of Home Builders, and the Mason Contractors of America. In construction, the industry groups argued, there is very little risk to significant exposure to beryllium, even when performing abrasive blasting or welding operations where beryllium is most likely to present itself. General industry, on the other hand, is much more likely to have high exposure to the substance and will have more stringent requirements.
“The final rule amends the following paragraphs in the beryllium standards for construction and shipyards: Definitions, Methods of Compliance, Respiratory Protection, Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment, Housekeeping, Hazard Communication, Medical Surveillance, and Recordkeeping. OSHA has removed the Hygiene Areas and Practices paragraph from the final standards because the necessary protections are provided by existing OSHA standards for sanitation,” OSHA explained in their trade release about the rule revision.
These changes will be in effect starting on September 20, 2020 and OSHA expects the changes to affect 12,000 workers across 2,800 businesses in the construction and shipyard industries.
“A comprehensive beryllium standard regulating all of construction was unnecessary and would divert resources from contractors away from other, higher safety priorities,” said Greg Sizemore, ABC vice president of HSE and workforce development, in a press release. “OSHA’s analysis of its own sampling data demonstrates that exposures from construction operations are highly unlikely to exceed the action level in typical circumstances. Importantly, employers are still required to comply with the applicable provisions of the beryllium standard in cases when a particular construction jobsite contains high levels of beryllium, for example, at a beryllium manufacturing facility.”
You can view the revised final rule, in its entirety, by clicking or tapping here.
Shane is the creator of Construction Junkie and an active construction project manager. In his career, he has managed interior remodel projects, site development, construction safety, governmental project compliance, and facility maintenance. He has a strong passion for construction technology and safety, as well as sharing the knowledge or insights he has gained throughout his career.