CDC Revises Airborne Exposure Limits for Chemical Agents
Abstract
Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Army revised the limits at which nerve agents VX and GB, and blister agent HD are monitored in air at very low concentrations. These concentrations are known as airborne exposure limits (AELs). These changes were made to bring the Army closer to the way other federal agencies, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, set AELs and monitor air in the workplace. During its evaluation of agent AELs, the CDC concluded that workers at chemical weapons storage and disposal facilities and the public have been fully protected under the existing AELs. The safety of its workers and surrounding communities continues to be the Army's highest priority as it stores and disposes of chemical weapons. The U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency (CMA) uses advanced monitoring systems at its chemical weapons storage and disposal facilities to ensure that air is safe for workers and the public. Although the new AELs will require some procedural changes in the workplace, they do not indicate any unsafe exposure to workers in the past, and will not affect worker risks in the future. Impacts of the revised AELs The revised AELs will change the way the Army and its contractors do things at their facilities. How the Army will monitor for agent is the most obvious change, but there will be other changes, such as the level of personal protection workers may use for various operations, or how long a worker may operate in a particular facility area. Other less visible changes may include new procedures for medical monitoring and laboratory analyses. As these changes are implemented, the Army and its contractors will inform and train the workforce.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA475513