Hexavalent Chromium — New OSHA Standard
 Compliance for Welding, Cutting, Plating & More

Companies with more than 20 employees had a 2006 deadline for compliance with the new OSHA standard. Companies with fewer than 20 employees must achieve reduction of hexavalent chromium levels to within the PEL by May 31 of 2007

Local Exhaust Ventilation for
Hexavalent Chromium Reduction

In their "Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Hexavalent Chromium Standards" OSHA suggests a preferred compliance approach for reduction of fume as using engineering controls such as local exhaust ventilation:

“Ventilation (e.g. local exhaust systems that capture airborne Cr(VI) near its source and remove it from the workplace, or general ventilation that dilutes Cr(VI) concentrations by circulating large quantities of air — a local exhaust system is generally preferred to dilution ventilation because it provides a cleaner and healthier work environment.”

PROCESSES

• Welding & Cutting Operations

• Chrome Plating & Anodizing

• Stainless Steel Fabrication

• Automotive Painting & Finishing

• Anti-Corrosion Coatings

• Thermal Cutting

• Grinding & Polishing

• Shipbuilding

• Zinc Finishing Operations

• Plastics Coatings

• Nickel-Based Alloys