# Cotton dust — OSHA medical surveillance trigger thresholds by substance

For Cotton dust, cfr section is 1910.1043; action level is 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; pel is 200 µg/m3 (yarn manufacturing and cotton washing); 500 µg/m3 (waste house operations); surveillance trigger is 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; exam frequency is 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, recorded from its source on 2026-08-12.

- **Substance:** Cotton dust _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **CFR section:** 1910.1043 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Action level:** 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
- **PEL:** 200 µg/m3 (yarn manufacturing and cotton washing); 500 µg/m3 (waste house operations)
- **Surveillance trigger:** 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
- **Exam frequency:** 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
- **Record retention:** At least 20 years _(verified: appears in the quote below)_

## What the source says

> (D) Any employee medical complaints related to exposure to cotton dust ; (E) A copy of this standard and its appendices, except that the employer may keep one copy of the standard and the appendices for all employees , provided that he references the standard and appendices in the medical surveillance record of each employee ; and (F) A copy of the information provided to the physician as required by paragraph (h)(4) of this section . (iii) The employer shall maintain this record for at least 20 years. (3) Availability. (i) The employer shall make all records required to be maintained by paragraph (k) of this section available to the Assistant Secretary and the Director for examination and copying. (ii) Employee exposure measurement records and <https://www.law.cornell.edu/definitions/index.php?width=840&height=800&iframe=true&def_id=8e410213f86c0ef574a42c60b461f826&term_occur=999&term_src=Title:29:Subtitle:B:Chapter:XVII:Part:1910:1910.1043>

## Source

- https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1910.1043

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/).