Changes to Beryllium Worker Protection Rule May Get Nixed (1)

Protections for construction workers from overexposure to beryllium dust might not get a partial rollback after all, according to an OSHA briefing document released Sept. 4.

A change in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s approach would be a reversal of beryllium rule rollback plans put in place shortly after the start of the Trump administration in January 2017.

Beryllium is metal that when ground down to fine particles can be toxic if inhaled. For construction workers, the primary source of exposure to beryllium dust is from abrasive coal slag. The slag, in which beryllium is found in trace amounts, ...