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The Methylene Chloride Standard
Do employees at your facility work routinely with methylene chloride (MC)? Are their exposures to methylene chloride below the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) and Short Term Exposure Limit (STEL)? Are the airborne concentrations at your facility below the Action Level of 12.5 ppm for an 8-hour day?
Under the OSHA Methylene Chloride occupational health standard, 29 CRF 1910.1052, employers are required to ensure that those working with MC are not exposed to airborne concentrations higher than 25 ppm for an 8 hour day or 125 ppm in any 15 minute period. You must peform initial exposure monitoring unless there is objective data to demonstrate that airborne concentrations of MC are below the action level or STEL; or that you have performed exposure monitoring within 12 months prior to April 10, 1997 and that the process has not changed since that time; or where employees are exposed to MC on fewer than 30 days and you can measure using direct-reading instruments for immediate results.
Initial exposure monitoring should take into account all employees with potential exposure for each work shift and function. Initial exposure monitoring should take place to determine airborne concentrations of MC and then again if there is a change in process, control measure, or equipment. The table below describes a few of the initial exposure monitoring scenarios and the required monitoring activity:
| If initial exposure monitoring shows airborne concentrations of MC below the action level and at or below the STEL |
No additional action is required |
| If initial monitoring shows airborne concentration below the action level and above the STEL |
Monitoring should occur every 3 months for the STEL |
| If initial monitoring shows a concentration above the PEL and above the STEL |
Monitoring for the PEL and STEL should occur every 3 months |
In addition to monitoring requirements, employers must implement controls if the airborne concentrations of methylene chloride are not below the STEL or PEL. To learn more about this standard visit www.osha.gov.
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