OSHA medical surveillance trigger thresholds by substance
The airborne exposure level that triggers mandatory medical surveillance under each OSHA substance-specific standard (29 CFR 1910 Subpart Z), compared across all regulated substances. Each record is one substance, carrying its action level, PEL, the exposure duration that triggers surveillance, the medical exam scope and frequency, biological monitoring requirements if any, and the record retention period. Answers 'what is the action level for lead', 'at what exposure must I provide medical exams for benzene workers', 'how often does cadmium biological monitoring need to happen', and 'which OSHA substances require 40-year record retention'. The action level is typically half the PEL but not always, and the surveillance trigger conditions vary wildly: lead uses blood lead levels, cadmium uses urine cadmium, and most others use airborne concentration plus days-per-year thresholds.
Records23
Sources23
Verified
Review by
LicenceUS federal regulation — 17 USC 105, no copyright
The data
| Substance | CFR section | Action level | PEL | Surveillance trigger | Exam frequency | Record retention |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane | 1910.1044 | none defined | 1 part DBCP per billion parts of air (ppb) as an 8-hour time-weighted average | employees who work in regulated areas and employees who are subjected to DBCP exposures in an emergency situation | At the time of initial assignment, and annually thereafter | at least 40 years or the duration of employment plus 20 years, whichever is longer |
| 1,3-Butadiene | 1910.1051 | 0.5 ppm calculated as an eight (8)-hour time-weighted average | one (1) part BD per million parts of air (ppm) measured as an eight (8)-hour time-weighted average; five parts of BD per million parts of air (5 ppm) as determined over a sampling period of fifteen (15) minutes | each employee with exposure to BD at concentrations at or above the action level on 30 or more days or for employees who have or may have exposure to BD at or above the PELs on 10 or more days a year | At time of initial assignment; at least every 5 years; within 30 days after exposure during emergency; at reassignment to non-BD area if 12 months or more have elapsed since last exam; at termination if 12 months or more have elapsed since last exam | duration of employment plus 30 years |
| 13 Carcinogens (4-Nitrobiphenyl, etc.) | 1910.1003 | none defined | none defined (standard prohibits entry to regulated areas without authorization; no numerical PEL stated) | employees considered for assignment to enter regulated areas, and for authorized employees | at least annually (periodic physical examinations, not less often than annually, following the preassignment examination) | duration of the employee's employment |
| Acrylonitrile | 1910.1045 | 1 ppm as an eight (8)-hour time-weighted average | two (2) parts acrylonitrile per million parts of air (2 ppm) as an eight (8)-hour time-weighted average; ten (10) ppm as averaged over any fifteen (15)-minute period | each employee who is or will be exposed to AN at or above the action level, without regard to the use of respirators | At the time of initial assignment, or upon institution of the medical surveillance program; at least annually thereafter | at least forty (40) years, or for the duration of employment plus twenty (20) years, whichever is longer |
| Asbestos | 1910.1001 | none defined | 0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter of air as an eight (8)-hour time-weighted average (TWA); excursion limit: 1 f/cc averaged over a sampling period of thirty (30) minutes | exposed to airborne concentrations of fibers of asbestos at or above the TWA and/or excursion limit | annually (periodic medical examinations shall be made available annually) | duration of employment plus thirty (30) years |
| Benzene | 1910.1028 | 0.5 ppm (TWA) | 1 ppm (TWA); 5 ppm (STEL, 15 minutes) | Employees exposed at or above the action level 30 or more days per year; or at or above the PELs 10 or more days per year | Annually | Duration of employment plus 30 years |
| Beryllium | 1910.1024 | 0.1 micrograms per cubic meter of air (µg/m3) calculated as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) | 0.2 µg/m3 calculated as an 8-hour TWA; 2.0 µg/m3 as determined over a sampling period of 15 minutes | Who is or is reasonably expected to be exposed at or above the action level for more than 30 days per year; who shows signs or symptoms of CBD or other beryllium-related health effects; who is exposed to beryllium during an emergency; or whose most recent written medical opinion recommends periodic medical surveillance | Initial examination; at least every two years thereafter for each employee who continues to meet the criteria; at termination of employment unless an examination has been provided in the six months prior to termination | maintained and made available in accordance with the Records Access standard (§ 1910.1020) |
| Bloodborne pathogens | 1910.1030 | none defined | none defined | All employees with occupational exposure (reasonably anticipated skin, eye, mucous membrane, or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials) | Hepatitis B vaccination offered within 10 working days of initial assignment; post-exposure evaluation made immediately available after each exposure incident | Duration of employment plus 30 years |
| Cadmium | 1910.1027 | 2.5 µg/m3 (TWA) | 5 µg/m3 (TWA) | Employees exposed at or above the action level on 30 or more days per year (twelve consecutive months) | Periodic medical examination at least biennially; biological sampling at least annually | Duration of employment plus 30 years |
| Coke oven emissions | 1910.1029 | none defined | 150 micrograms per cubic meter of air (150 µg/m3), averaged over any 8-hour period | all employees who are employed in a regulated area at least 30 days per year | at least annually | at least 40 years, or for the duration of employment plus 20 years, whichever is longer |
| Cotton dust | 1910.1043 | 100 µg/m3 (yarn manufacturing and cotton washing); 250 µg/m3 (waste houses); 375 µg/m3 (slashing and weaving) — all 8-hr TWA lint-free respirable dust | 200 µg/m3 (yarn manufacturing and cotton washing); 500 µg/m3 (waste house operations) | All employees exposed to cotton dust (initial examination for all); annual surveillance for employees exposed above the action level; every two years for employees at or below the action level | At least annually for employees exposed above the action level; at least every two years for employees at or below the action level; every six months for employees with specified FEV1 decrements | At least 20 years |
| Ethylene oxide | 1910.1047 | 0.5 ppm calculated as an eight (8)-hour time-weighted average | one (1) part EtO per million parts of air (1 ppm) as an 8-hour time-weighted average (8-hour TWA); 5 parts of EtO per million parts of air (5 ppm) as averaged over a sampling period of fifteen (15) minutes | all employees who are or may be exposed to EtO at or above the action level, without regard to the use of respirators, for at least 30 days a year | Prior to assignment; at least annually each employee exposed at or above the action level for at least 30 days in the past year; at termination of employment or reassignment | exposure records: at least thirty (30) years; medical records: duration of employment plus thirty (30) years |
| Formaldehyde | 1910.1048 | 0.5 part formaldehyde per million parts of air (0.5 ppm) calculated as an eight (8)-hour time-weighted average (TWA) concentration | 0.75 parts formaldehyde per million parts of air (0.75 ppm) as an 8-hour TWA; 2 ppm STEL | all employees exposed to formaldehyde at concentrations at or exceeding the action level or exceeding the STEL | prior to assignment to a job where formaldehyde exposure is at or above the action level or above the STEL and annually thereafter | Exposure records and determinations: at least 30 years; Medical records: duration of employment plus 30 years |
| Hazardous waste operations and emergency response (HAZWOPER) | 1910.120 | none defined | none defined | Employees exposed to hazardous substances or health hazards at or above the PEL (or published exposure levels if no PEL) for 30 days or more per year; employees who wear a respirator for 30 days or more per year; employees who are injured or develop signs or symptoms from overexposure; members of HAZMAT teams | Prior to assignment; at least once every twelve months unless physician believes a longer interval (not greater than biennially) is appropriate; at termination if no exam within last six months; as soon as possible after emergency incident or development of signs or symptoms | Retained for the period specified and meeting the criteria of 29 CFR 1910.1020 |
| Hexavalent chromium | 1910.1026 | 2.5 micrograms per cubic meter of air (2.5 µgm/m3) calculated as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) | 5 micrograms per cubic meter of air (5 µgm/m3), calculated as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) | Who are or may be occupationally exposed to chromium (VI) at or above the action level for 30 or more days a year; experiencing signs or symptoms of the adverse health effects associated with chromium (VI) exposure; or exposed in an emergency | Within 30 days after initial assignment; annually; within 30 days after PLHCP written medical opinion recommends additional examination; whenever employee shows signs or symptoms; within 30 days after emergency exposure | maintained and made available in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.1020 |
| Inorganic arsenic | 1910.1018 | 5 micrograms per cubic meter of air (5 µg/m3) | 10 micrograms per cubic meter of air (10 µg/m3) as determined as an average over an 8-hour period | all employees who are or will be exposed above the action level, without regard to the use of respirators, at least 30 days per year; and all employees who have been exposed above the action level for 30 days or more per year for a total of 10 years or more | annually (for employees 45 years of age or less with fewer than 10 years exposure over the action level); every 6 months (for employees over 45 years old or with more than 10 years exposure over the action level) | at least 40 years or for the duration of employment plus 20 years, whichever is longer |
| Lead | 1910.1025 | an airborne concentration of lead of 30 micrograms per cubic meter of air (30 µg/m3) averaged over an 8-hour period | fifty micrograms per cubic meter of air (50 µg/m3) averaged over an 8-hour period | all employees who are or may be exposed at or above the action level for more than 30 days per year | at least every 6 months (biological monitoring); at least annually for each employee for whom a blood lead level at any time during the preceding 12 months indicated at or above 40 µg/100 g | at least 40 years, or for the duration of employment plus 20 years, whichever is longer |
| Methylene chloride | 1910.1052 | 12.5 parts per million (ppm) calculated as an eight (8)-hour time-weighted average (TWA) | twenty-five parts of MC per million parts of air (25 ppm) as an 8-hour TWA; one hundred and twenty-five parts of MC per million parts of air (125 ppm) as determined over a sampling period of fifteen minutes | at or above the action level on 30 or more days per year, or above the 8-hour TWA PEL or the STEL on 10 or more days per year | Initial before assignment; for employees 45 years of age or older, within 12 months of initial or any subsequent surveillance; for employees younger than 45 years of age, within 36 months of initial or any subsequent surveillance; at termination or reassignment if six months or more have elapsed since last surveillance | duration of employment plus thirty (30) years |
| Methylenedianiline | 1910.1050 | 5 ppb as an eight (8)-hour time-weighted average | ten parts per billion (10 ppb) as an 8-hour time-weighted average; STEL of 100 ppb | Employees exposed at or above the action level for 30 or more days per year; employees who are subject to dermal exposure to MDA for 15 or more days per year; employees who have been exposed in an emergency situation | within 150 days of the effective date or before the time of initial assignment; at least annually following the initial examination | exposure records: at least 30 years; medical records: at least the duration of employment plus 30 years |
| Noise (occupational noise exposure) | 1910.95 | 85 dBA 8-hour TWA | 90 dBA (8-hour TWA) per Table G-16 | Exposure equal to or exceeding an 8-hour time-weighted average sound level (TWA) of 85 decibels measured on the A scale (slow response) or, equivalently, a dose of fifty percent | Baseline audiogram within 6 months of first exposure at or above action level; at least annually thereafter for each employee exposed at or above an 8-hour TWA of 85 decibels | Noise exposure measurement records: two years; audiometric test records: duration of the affected employee's employment |
| Respirable crystalline silica | 1910.1053 | 25 µg/m3, calculated as an 8-hour TWA | 50 µg/m3, calculated as an 8-hour TWA | each employee who will be occupationally exposed to respirable crystalline silica at or above the action level for 30 or more days per year | Initial (baseline) examination within 30 days after initial assignment; periodic examinations at least every three years | maintained and made available in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.1020 |
| Respiratory protection | 1910.134 | not applicable (equipment standard) | not applicable (equipment standard) | Before the employee is fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace | Prior to initial use; additional evaluations if employee reports medical signs or symptoms related to ability to use a respirator, or if workplace conditions change | Records of medical evaluations required by this section must be retained and made available in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.1020 |
| Vinyl chloride | 1910.1017 | 0.5 ppm averaged over an 8-hour work day | 1 ppm averaged over any 8-hour period; 5 ppm averaged over any period not exceeding 15 minutes | exposed, without regard to the use of respirators, to vinyl chloride in excess of the action level | at least annually (examinations must be provided in accordance with this paragraph at least annually) | duration of the employment of each employee plus 20 years, or 30 years, whichever is longer |
Where this came from
Every record above links the page it was taken from and quotes the sentence that states it. These are the 23 sources this dataset was assembled from.
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1044
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1051
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1003
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1045
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1001
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1028
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1024
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1030
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1027
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1029
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1043
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1047
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1048
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.120
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1026
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1018
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1025
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1052
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1050
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.95
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1053
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.134
- law.cornell.eduhttps://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1017
Machine-readable
- data.jsonThe whole dataset — every record with its source URL and source quote.
- Open Knowledge Format bundleOne JSON object per line — every record's frontmatter and quoted span exactly as it is held here, in one fetch.
- How this is made and checkedWhat "verified against source" does and does not mean.