CFR 116 - Occupational Exposure to Cadmium; Final Rules

On September 14, 1992, Federal OSHA promulgated a new general industry standard which regulates occupational exposure to cadmium. This new standard - 29 CFR 1910.1027 - establishes an 8 - hour time weighted average permissible exposure limit of 5 micrograms of cadmium per cubic meter of air for all cadmium compounds, including dust and fumes. Employers are required to comply with this limit primarily by means of engineering controls and work practices. For a small number of industries listed in Table I of the standard, OSHA has established a separate engineering control air limit as the lowest feasible above the PEL that can be achieved by engineering and work practice controls.

In addition, Federal OSHA promulgated a separate standard - 29 CFR 1926.63 - for cadmium in the construction industry (now 1926.1127) . This was necessary in order to address differences in job durations, types of exposure, and worksite conditions. This construction standard includes the requirement for a competent person, the duties of whom are described under paragraph (b) Definitions. These new federal final rules at 29 CFR 1910 Subpart Z and 29 CFR 1926 Subpart D were adopted verbatim in North Carolina by the Commissioner of Labor with an effective date of February 8, 1993. 

Also reference CFR 116A - Occupational Exposure to Cadmium; Final Rules - Corrections and CFR 116B - Occupational Exposure to Cadmium; Final Rules - Corrections. Additional resources and information can be found on the safety and health topics page. To determine if this rule applies, go to "Do your employees have occupational exposure to cadmium?" for General Industry or "Do your employees have occupational exposure to cadmium?" for Construction.