What are the “allowable” exposure limits for cadmium and cobalt?
Both the federal and state government set permissible exposure limits or “PELs” for exposure to airborne chemicals in industry. The PELs are established at levels generally believed to ensure that nearly all workers will not suffer adverse health effects, even though they may be exposed daily to these levels in the workplace. Exposure levels above the PEL are considered potentially harmful, and the law requires that employers ensure that employees are never exposed to levels over the PELs. The current federal and state airborne PEL for cadmium is 5.0 micrograms per cubic meter of air (5.0 ) g/m3), calculated as an eight-hour time-weighted average. In 1993, Washington adopted detailed safety and health requirements for protecting employees from overexposure to cadmium. The rules are in the Washington Occupational Health Standards at WAC 296-62-074 (for general industry) and in the Safety Standards for Construction at WAC 296-155-174 (for construction). The Washington airborne PEL for co
