New Beryllium Standard Enforcement Date Set

OSHA recently announced the delay of its beryllium standard. Now, it has been confirmed that the new set date for enforcement is May 11. Thomas Galassi, Director of the Directorate of Enforcement Programs, announced the delay in a memorandum for regional administrators.

Why did OSHA push back the beryllium enforcement date?

OSHA notes there are "extensive settlement discussions with several parties who have filed legal actions challenging the general industry standard". The 60-day delay ideally serves as a period in which OSHA can settle these legal disputes. It also serves as "adequate notice" for affected employers before OSHA begins enforcing them.

May 11 will also bring about several other OSHA enforcements. These include the new lower 8-hour permissible exposure limit (PEL) and short-term (15-minute) exposure limit (STEL) for construction and shipyard industries.