The New OSHA Beryllium Standard - What You Need to Know

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently proposed a new occupational health standard for processing beryllium. Along with a lower Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL), the proposed standard contains many requirements designed to improve worker safety by minimizing potential exposures to beryllium dust, mist and fumes. The plastics industry has used copper beryllium alloys for many years to increase thermal conductivity and reduce cycle times in plastic injection molds. The adoption of a beryllium standard by OSHA has the potential to affect how these materials are handled and processed in the industry.