Which Industries Are Affected by OSHA’s Beryllium Standard?

OSHA started enforcing certain provisions of its new beryllium standard starting May 11, 2018.  Is your company affected by this new standard?

Beryllium is a lightweight but strong metal and exposures to beryllium occurs through inhalation or contact when making products containing beryllium.  Which industries are affected by beryllium and what products contain beryllium?  See the list below:

• Aerospace (aircraft braking systems, engines, satellites, space telescope)
• Automotive (anti- lock brake systems, ignitions)
• Ceramic manufacturing (rocket covers, semiconductor chips)
• Defense (components for  nuclear weapons, missile parts, guidance systems, optical systems)
• Dental labs (alloys in crowns, bridges, and dental plates)
• Electronics (x- rays, computer parts, telecommunication parts, automotive parts)
• Energy (microwave devices, relays)
• Medicine (laser devices, electro-medical devices, X-ray windows)
• Nuclear energy (heat shields, reactors)
• Sporting goods (golf clubs, bicycles)
• Telecommunications (optical systems, wireless base stations)

(Source: OSHA’s beryllium information site)

If your company produces any of these products, you need to determine your exposure levels and follow guidelines set forth by the new beryllium standard.  Learn more about what these guidelines are in our previous blog post “Beryllium: What You Need to Know About OSHA’s Newest Exposure Standard”.