Does "Subpart M - Occupational Health" Apply to You?

Subpart M contains the cadmium standard. Do your employees have occupational exposure to cadmium? If yes, then you need to comply with the cadmium standard which references the general industry standard for cadmium. Cadmium applies to all occupational exposures to cadmium and cadmium compounds, in all forms, and in all industries covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act, except the construction-related industries. This standard provides the permissible exposure limit (PEL) and the requirements for exposure monitoring, regulated areas, methods of compliance (i.e., engineering controls, work practice controls, written compliance program), respirator program (reference the respiratory protection standard), protective work clothing and equipment (reference the standard on eye and face protection), hygiene facilities and practices (reference the sanitation standard), hazard communication program (reference the hazard communication standard), housekeeping, signs and labels, medical surveillance, employee information and training, and recordkeeping (reference the standard on access to employee exposure and medical records). It also provides definitions such as:

Action level (AL) is defined as an airborne concentration of cadmium of 2.5 micrograms per cubic meter of air (2.5 ug/m(3)), calculated as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA). 

High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter means a filter capable of trapping and retaining at least 99.97 percent of mono-dispersed particles of 0.3 micrometers in diameter. 

Additional related information can be found on the A-Z safety and health topic pages for personal protective equipment, hazard communication, hierarchy of controls and respiratory protection and on the agricultural safety and health (ASH) webpage.