Background
Let’s talk about a metal that’s making some serious waves in industries across the board. I’m talking about beryllium. Now, beryllium and its compounds have earned a spot on the all-star team of materials used in aerospace, electronics, energy, telecommunications, medical, and defense fields. But don’t let its impressive résumé fool you—beryllium is a toxic character, and it doesn’t play nice with the workers who breathe it in. Inhaling beryllium can lead to chronic beryllium disease (CBD) or even lung cancer, and that’s something we can’t ignore.
That’s where the good people at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) come into play. They finished working out new beryllium standards to keep folks safe in general industry, construction, and shipyards. And I’ll tell you, these aren’t just some fly-by-night rules cooked up in a backroom somewhere. Oh no, they’re grounded in peer-reviewed scientific evidence, industry and labor-developed model standards, and good ol’ fashioned consensus standards.
Now, I know what you’re thinking—beryllium doesn’t sound like a big player, and you’re right. We’re looking at a relatively small worker population of around 62,000 affected by these beryllium rules. But get this—OSHA estimates that the final rule will save 90 lives each year and prevent 46 new cases of CBD. That’s 90 families who won’t have to go through the heartache of losing a loved one, and that’s worth fighting for.
What is Beryllium?
So, let’s dig a little deeper into the world of beryllium.
Beryllium is like the Hercules of metals—it’s lightweight but packs a serious punch when it comes to strength. Beryllium alloys enhance physical properties of other metals. It’s used in all sorts of industries, and it’s a go-to for beryllium-copper alloys because of its electrical and thermal conductivity, hardness, and resistance to corrosion. Beryllium oxide is a key ingredient for electronics ceramics, and other electrical gizmos, thanks to its heat conductivity, high strength, hardness, and electrical insulation.
In construction and shipyards, exposure to beryllium primarily occurs when abrasive materials that contain trace amounts of beryllium (<1% by weight) are used in abrasive blasting operations
Beryllium is relatively rare in the universe and Earth’s crust, and is depleted in star cores. Its annual production of 220 tons primarily involves extracting it from beryl.
Beryllium, >99 % pure, crystalline big fragment >140 g, Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Be-140g.jpg
But Where Do Workers Run Into Beryllium?
Well, there’s a whole laundry list of industries and activities where exposure can occur:
- Beryllium Production
- Beryllium Oxide Ceramics and Composites
- Nonferrous Foundries
- Secondary Smelting, Refining, and Alloying
- Precision Turned Products
- Copper Rolling, Drawing, and Extruding
- Fabrication of Beryllium Alloy Products
- Welding
- Dental Laboratories And when it comes to construction and shipyards, beryllium exposure can happen during abrasive blasting with materials containing trace amounts of the stuff (<1% by weight).
- Workers Processing Beryllium Metal/Alloys/Composites
- Foundry Workers
- Furnace Tenders
- Machine Operators
- Machinists
- Metal Fabricators
- Welders
- Dental Technicians
- Construction and shipyard occupations with potential exposure to beryllium include:
- Abrasive blasters and pot tenders
- Laborers
- Welders
Where is Beryllium Used?
End products containing beryllium and beryllium compounds are used in many industries including:
- Aerospace (aircraft braking systems, engines, satellites, space telescope)
- Automotive (anti- lock brake systems, ignitions)
- Ceramic manufacturing (rocket covers, semiconductor chips)
- Defense (components for nuclear weapons, missile parts, guidance systems, optical systems)
- Dental labs (alloys in crowns, bridges, and dental plates)
- Electronics (x- rays, computer parts, telecommunication parts, automotive parts)
- Energy (microwave devices, relays)
- Medicine (laser devices, electro-medical devices, X-ray windows)
- Nuclear energy (heat shields, reactors)
- Sporting goods (golf clubs, bicycles)
- Telecommunications (optical systems, wireless base stations)
What are the Health Effects Associated with Beryllium Exposure?
Folks, let’s cut to the chase and talk about the health effects that come with being exposed to beryllium. You see, in industries where beryllium is part of the mix, workers can end up breathing it in or coming into contact with it. And here’s the thing—beryllium doesn’t like to play nice with our immune system. In fact, it can kick-start an immune response, making a person sensitized to the stuff.
And once you’re sensitized, that’s when things can get real dicey. Chronic Beryllium Disease, or CBD for short, is a serious lung condition that can rear its ugly head. We’re talking about some pretty nasty symptoms like shortness of breath, a cough that comes out of nowhere, fatigue, weight loss, fever, and night sweats. And CBD doesn’t always make a grand entrance—sometimes, it sneaks up on folks, taking months or even years to show up after exposure. But once it’s in the picture, it can keep on going, even if the worker’s nowhere near beryllium anymore. So, the takeaway here is that to get CBD, you’ve got to be sensitized to beryllium, and that can happen by breathing it in or getting it on your skin.
Now, if CBD wasn’t enough to worry about, there’s also the risk of lung cancer. Workers who inhale beryllium in the form of dust, fumes, or mist are putting themselves in the line of fire. And the science backs this up—the International Agency for Research on Cancer, also known as IARC, has beryllium on their list as a Group 1 carcinogen. In plain English, that means it’s a known cancer-causer for us humans. And just to drive the point home, the National Toxicology Program, or NTP, is on the same page, listing beryllium as a known human carcinogen.
The Need for New Beryllium Standards
Now, here’s the kicker—the dangers of beryllium exposure have been on the radar for decades. But the old permissible exposure limit (PEL) set by OSHA just wasn’t cutting it in preventing disease. Thankfully, over the years, the scientific community has come together to support the need for better protection for workers. And it’s not just the scientists—plenty of employers, including the U.S. Department of Energy, are stepping up to the plate and putting measures in place to protect workers from beryllium exposure. The best part? The technology to meet the new standards is out there, and it’s totally doable for most employers.
How Will the New Rule Protect Workers?
So, let’s talk about the new rule and how it’s going to help protect workers. First off, the rule reduces the PEL for beryllium to 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter of air (µg/m3) averaged over 8 hours. It also establishes a short-term exposure limit (STEL) for beryllium of 2.0 µg/m3 over a 15-minute sampling period. The goal here is to keep excessive beryllium from going airborne where workers can breathe it in. And to do that, employers need to use engineering and work practice controls.
But that’s just the start. Employers also need to limit access to high-exposure areas and provide respiratory protection when needed. Plus, they’ve got to supply personal protective clothing when high exposures or dermal contact is a possibility.
On top of that, employers have to assess exposures, develop and implement written exposure control plans, and provide workers with training that’s specific to beryllium. And for workers who are exposed, employers need to offer medical examinations. If a worker shows signs of a beryllium-related health effect, the employer needs to step up and offer workplace accommodations to reduce beryllium exposures.
How Will OSHA Help Employers Comply and Protect Their Workers?
So, how is OSHA going to help employers comply and protect their workers? Well, the rule comes with staggered compliance dates to make sure employers have enough time to get the right protections in place.
Here’s the timeline:
- One year after the effective date of the rule to implement most provisions of the standard;
- Two years after the effective date to implement requirements for change rooms and showers;
- Three years after the effective date to implement engineering control requirements.
Note: The compliance date for the 2020 final Beryllium standard for general industry was September 14, 2020, and the compliance date for the final standards for construction and shipyards was September 30, 2020:
https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2021-04-21
https://www.osha.gov/beryllium/faqs
Additional Information
And if you’re looking for more information, OSHA’s got you covered. Head over to www.osha.gov/beryllium for the full scoop on the beryllium rule. And OSHA’s not stopping there—they offer a whole range of programs to help, including technical assistance, workplace consultations, and training and education.
One of the standout programs is OSHA’s On-site Consultation Program. This program offers free and confidential occupational safety and health services to small and medium-sized businesses all over the country. The focus is on high-hazard worksites, and the best part is that on-site consultation services don’t result in penalties or citations. It’s all about working with employers to identify hazards, provide advice on OSHA standards, and help establish and improve safety and health management systems. And these consultants are the real deal—they come from state agencies or universities and bring a wealth of knowledge to the table.
If you’re interested in finding the OSHA On-site Consultation Program closest to you, all you’ve got to do is give them a call at 1-800-321-OSHA (6742) or visit www.osha.gov/consultation. They’ll be happy to point you in the right direction.
Now, I should mention that this information I’m sharing with you is part of a series of informational fact sheets that OSHA puts out to highlight their programs, policies, and standards. It’s not adding any new compliance requirements or anything like that. If you’re looking for a comprehensive rundown of OSHA standards or regulations, you’ll want to refer to Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
It’s also worth noting that twenty-eight states and territories operate their own occupational safety and health state plans, and these have the stamp of approval from OSHA. These state plans have standards that are required to be “at least as effective” as OSHA’s standards, but they might have some different or additional requirements. To find an OSHA-approved state plan near you, head over to www.osha.gov/stateplans.
Conclusion
We’ve been on quite a journey exploring the world of beryllium—a metal that’s as useful as it is treacherous. So let’s take a moment to recap what we’ve learned and tie it all together.
Now, beryllium’s a real heavyweight in industries like aerospace, electronics, energy, and defense. It’s the Hercules of metals—lightweight yet incredibly strong. And it’s not just pure beryllium we’re talking about. Beryllium-copper alloys and beryllium oxide are also making waves, thanks to their usefulness.
But here’s the catch—beryllium’s got a dark side. When workers breathe it in or get it on their skin, they’re putting their health on the line. And the big, bad villain we’re talking about is chronic beryllium disease, or CBD for short. CBD’s a lung condition that can sneak up on you with symptoms like shortness of breath, fatigue, and night sweats. And once it’s got you in its grip, it doesn’t let go easily. Plus, there’s the risk of lung cancer, and the science backs this up with beryllium earning a spot on the list of known human carcinogens.
So with risks like these, it’s clear that something’s gotta give. That’s where the good folks at OSHA come in. They’ve been working tirelessly to set new beryllium standards to keep folks safe on the job. We’re talking about reducing permissible exposure limits and setting short-term exposure limits—measures that’ll keep beryllium from going airborne and getting into workers’ lungs. Employers are stepping up too, using engineering controls, providing protective gear, and offering medical exams to keep workers healthy.
And it’s not just a shot in the dark—OSHA’s new standards are expected to save 90 lives and prevent 46 new cases of CBD each year. Those are real people with families and loved ones who’ll be spared the heartache, and that’s worth fighting for.
But the fight’s not over yet. OSHA’s got a whole range of programs to help employers comply with the new standards, like the On-site Consultation Program, which offers free and confidential safety and health services. And with staggered compliance dates, employers have the time they need to get the right protections in place.
That’s the story of beryllium in a nutshell—a metal that’s got a lot of promise but packs a punch if we’re not careful. So let’s keep our eyes open and do our part to make sure everyone gets to go home safe at the end of the day. Take care, stay safe, and keep up the good work.
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