February 28, 2006
OSHA Issues Weak Hexavalent Chromium Standard: Workers Will Die
A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT
From Jordan Barab:
Facing a court-ordered deadline, OSHA has issued its long-awaited standard to reduce workers' exposure to cancer-causing hexavalent chromium. Unfortunately, the standard represents a major victory for industry as OSHA lowered the standard from 52 micrograms of chromium per cubic meter of air to 5 micrograms, after originally proposing to a 1 microgram limit in 2004.
The new standard comes less than a week after an article revealed that scientists working for the chromium industry withheld data showing that even very low level exposures cause cancer.
More: http://spewingforth.blogspot.com/
OSHA Sets Limit on Workplace Chromium (Washington Post)
A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT
Jordan Barab spent 16 years running AFSCME's health and safety program and served in the Clinton administration as a Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for OSHA.