Each year, the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) publishes a list of substances for which they have set new or revised Threshold Limit Values (TLVs). A TLV is an airborne concentration of a chemical substance where nearly all workers are believed to experience no adverse health effects over a working lifetime. TLVs may be expressed as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA), short-term exposure limit (STEL), or ceiling limit.
Prior to the adoption of new or revised TLVs published by the ACGIH, WorkSafeBC reviews and consults with stakeholders on potential implementation issues. WorkSafeBC’s existing B.C. Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs) continue to be in effect until the Board of Directors makes a decision on which new or revised ACGIH TLVs to adopt as B.C. OELs.
WorkSafeBC is requesting stakeholder feedback on the proposed OELs for 31 substances.
(1) WorkSafeBC proposes new or revised OELs for the following substances:
Boron trifluoride (8-Hour TWA Only)
Calcium silicate, naturally occurring as Wollastonite
Calcium silicate – Synthetic nonfibrous
Formaldehyde
Furfural
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (L.P.G.)
Styrene, monomer
(2) WorkSafeBC proposes to retain the existing OELs for the following substances:
Acetamide
Boron tribromide
Boron trichloride
Boron trifluoride (ceiling limit only)
Cadusafos
Captafol
Cyanogen
2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)
Folpet
Furfuryl alcohol
Phthalic anhydride
Propoxur
Simazine
Toluene diisocyanate, 2,4- or 2,6- (or as a mixture)
Toluene-2,4-diisocyanate (2,4-TDI)
Toluene-2,6-diisocyanate (2,6-TDI)
Triorthocresyl phosphate
Warfarin
(3) For hazard communication purposes, WorkSafeBC has automatically adopted new or revised ACGIH notations of “simple asphyxiant” and “explosion hazard” for the following substances:
Acetylene
Butane, isomers
Ethane
Hydrogen
Methane
Methyl acetylene
Methyl acetylene-propadiene mixture (MAPP)
Natural Gas
Propane
View the proposed OELs and provide feedback
Feedback will be accepted until 4:30 p.m., Friday, September 27, 2019.