Document VjbdO5q0mVeq92ozmZv9Z0Myp

EMERGENCY STANDARD PROMULGATED Fran the: National Safety Council OSHA UP TO DATE January 1972 An emergency standard for exposure to asbestos dust was promulgated on December 7 by Assistant Secretary of Labor George Guenther. The emergency standard is effective immeidateiy under OSHA, the Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act, and the Construction Safety Act. In Ihe light of increasing information on the results of exposure to airborne asbestos dust, including recent studies by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and others, it was determined that the previous standard for asbestos dust limiting exposure to 12 fibers per milliliter greater than five microns in length or two mi 11 ion .particles per cubic foot of air constitutes a "grave danger" to employees exposed to such concentrations over a time period of eight hours. The emergency standard limits concentration to five fibers per milliliter greater than five microns in length for an eight-hour exposure. Greater concentrations are permitted for lesser time exposures. The numerical values of this emergency standard are identical to the 1971 American Conference of Govern* mental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) "intended values" for asbestos for an eight-hour exposure. The emergency standard was enabled by Section 6(c) of the Act which gives the Secretary of Labor the authority to promulgate an emergency standard if it is determined that employees are exposed to grave danger end that an emergency standard is necessary to protect employees from such danger. The Act requires that the Secretary of Labor promulgate a standard to replace the emergency standard no later than six months after the emergency standard was promulgated. SGP 0006437 1972 - Memos & C o rre s p o n d e n c e SGP 0006436 is.