2024 new or revised ACGIH Threshold Limit Values and exposure limits

Marie-Yosie Saint-Cyr, LL.B., Managing Editor, HRinfodesk, published by First Reference Inc., April 2024

On April 11, 2024, Prevention Policy Item R5.48-1 was amended to maintain the current British Columbia exposure limits for substances listed on the 2024 new or revised Threshold Limit Values from the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. The ACGIH published its first batch of new or revised TLVs for 2024 in January of this year. The following substances with new or revised TLVs for 2024 have been added to the Table of Exposure Limits for Excluded Substances in Prevention Manual Item OHS Policy R5.48-1:

• Benzene
   
• Captafol, Inhalable Fraction & Vapour
   
• Ethylene glycol dimethyl ether
   
• Fenoxycarb, Inhalable
   
• Fentanyl and fentanyl citrate, as Fentanyl, Inhalable
   
• Hexane (Commercial, <54% n-Hexane) and the branched hexane isomers
   
• Methylcyclohexane
   
• Pentaborane
   
• Phthalic anhydride, Inhalable Fraction & Vapour

All BC ELs can be found in the updated Table of Exposure Limits for Chemical and Biological Substances.

Background

Twice a year, the ACGIH publishes a list of substances for which they have set new or revised TLVs. When WorkSafeBC adopts the new or revised ACGIH TLVs as regulatory exposure limits for chemical substances, these exposure limits are referred to as BC Exposure Limits (ELs).

The Occupational Health and Safety Regulation provides that, except as otherwise determined by WorkSafeBC, an employer must ensure no worker is exposed to a substance exceeding the Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) prescribed by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). An EL is the maximum allowed airborne concentration for a chemical substance for which it is believed that nearly all workers may be exposed over a working lifetime and experience no adverse health effects. ELs may be set out as an eight-hour time-weighted average concentration, a 15-minute short-term exposure limit, or a ceiling limit.

When the ACGIH publishes its biannual list, WorkSafeBC identifies the substances with new or revised TLVs and adds these substances (together with their existing BC ELs) to the Table of Exposure Limits for Excluded Substances in Prevention Manual Item OHS Policy R5.48-1.

Any questions or comments, please communicate with Marie-Yosie Saint-Cyr, Managing Editor at [email protected]. This article is published on HRinfodesk, Canadian Payroll and Employment Law at work by First Reference. These articles also offer general comments on legal developments of concern to businesses. These articles are made available to give you general information and understanding of the law, not to provide legal advice or opinions about specific situations or problems. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of this information. The reader should always obtain legal advice from a qualified lawyer or other qualified professionals, which will be responsive to the case or circumstance of the individual. Please note that the content provided in this article, or any content contained in or made available through any third-party website linked to this article, is provided as is without representations or warranties of any kind. All representations and warranties in respect of the content or third-party content express or implied, including, without limitation, any representations to warranties or conditions regarding accuracy, timeliness, completeness, non-infringement, merchantability, or fitness for any particular purpose are hereby disclaimed. Copyright 1999-2024 First Reference Inc.