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Mold Materials 30 MoldMaking Technology November 2015 By Ted Knudson A proposal to set a lower exposure standard for beryllium and beryllium- containing materials will affect how the plastics industry handles and processes these materials. T o better protect industry workers, a proposal was issued in August by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that would set a new, lower exposure stan- dard specifically for beryllium and beryllium-containing materials. If this proposed standard is adopted, it will reduce OSHA's current per- missible exposure limit (PEL) for beryllium from 2.0 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) to 0.2 µg/m3 as an 8-hour time-weighted aver- age. In addition, it would create a short-term exposure limit of 2 µg/m3 for a 15-minute period and require personal protective equip- ment, medical exams, other medi- cal surveillance and training. Beryllium is a naturally occurring element which, in its pure form, is one-third lighter than alu- minum yet has six times the specific stiffness of steel. When alloyed with other metals such as copper, nickel or aluminum, it improves the properties and performance of these metals. These materials offer good electrical and thermal conductivity; high strength and hardness; good corrosion and fatigue resis- tance; and nonmagnetic properties. The plastics industry has long used copper beryllium alloys in plastic injection molds to increase thermal conductiv- ity, reduce cycle times and improve plastic part quality. The adoption of a beryllium standard by OSHA has the potential to affect how these materials are handled and processed in the plastics industry. In solid form, beryllium poses no special health risks, but exposure to airborne beryllium in the form of dust, mist or fumes can cause chronic beryllium disease (CBD) in individu- als who become sensitive to beryllium. Exposure in these A New Beryllium Standard individuals may result in inflammation and damage to the lung tissue that may impair the lungs' ability to transfer oxy- gen to the bloodstream. CBD can take months or years to develop and is sometimes fatal. Along with a lower PEL, the proposed beryllium standard contains many requirements that are expected to improve worker safety by minimizing potential exposures. These requirements could include conducting air sampling; estab- lishing beryllium work and regulated areas; preparing a writ- ten exposure control plan; using engineering and work prac- tice controls to minimize worker exposures; providing workers with appropriate personal protective equipment such as gloves, Along with a lower permissible exposure limit, the proposed beryllium standard contains requirements expected to improve worker safety by minimizing potential exposures when working with beryllium and beryllium-containing materials. Image courtesy of Materion Performance Alloys.