# Benzene — OSHA medical surveillance trigger thresholds by substance

For Benzene, cfr section is 1910.1028; action level is 0.5 ppm (TWA); pel is 1 ppm (TWA); 5 ppm (STEL, 15 minutes); surveillance trigger is 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; exam frequency is Annually, recorded from its source on 2026-08-12.

- **Substance:** Benzene _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **CFR section:** 1910.1028 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Action level:** 0.5 ppm (TWA)
- **PEL:** 1 ppm (TWA); 5 ppm (STEL, 15 minutes)
- **Surveillance trigger:** 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
- **Exam frequency:** Annually _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Record retention:** Duration of employment plus 30 years

## What the source says

> DANGER CONTAINS BENZENE CANCER HAZARD (3) Information and training . (i) The employer shall provide employees with information and training at the time of their initial assignment to a work area where benzene is present. If exposures are above the action level , employees shall be provided with information and training at least annually thereafter. (ii) The <https://www.law.cornell.edu/definitions/index.php?width=840&height=800&iframe=true&def_id=5c8ae3ca6b82c8003a8269dbf145e2b2&term_occur=999&term_src=Title:29:Subtitle:B:Chapter:XVII:Part:1910:1910.1028>

## Source

- https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1028

Last verified: 2026-08-12. Review by: 2027-02-08.
Part of [OSHA medical surveillance trigger thresholds by substance](https://referencesource.org/osha-medical-surveillance-triggers/).