Cadmium Safety Standards

OSHA has released a program on cadmium exposure.  The program is an interactive tool that will help employers meet safety standards associated with cadmium.  Called the Cadmium Biological Monitoring Adviser, this new program will analyze data submitted by the user.  The beauty of the program is that it will help the user understand the different requirements needed based on the level of cadmium present.  So, the data that is entered provides unique results that need to be followed by the enterprise. Here’s some important information about Cadmium safety standards.

Cadmium is just about everywhere in the construction industry.  It is a soft metal that you can find in machines, certain plastics, painting, ceramics and welding.  Exposure may occur in other ways too.  Certain manufacturing, refining and smelting can also result in cadmium exposure.  So, many workers, around 300,000 a year are exposed to cadmium.  Results of cadmium exposure can vary from short-term symptoms like weakness and fever to long-term symptoms like kidney damage and certain cancers like prostate and lung.  Pulmonary emphysema and bone disease have also been linked to cadmium exposure.  So, there are serious consequences to both short and long term exposure to this metal.

The tool is intended for medical professionals who assess exposure of workers.  But, it may prove useful to others, like training workers to identify ways to prevent a cadmium exposure and what makes up an overexposure.  It’s important to note that the monitoring adviser does not replace the Cadmium Standard already present in the construction industry.  The monitoring adviser can help with analyzing monitoring data; all other provisions of the Cadmium Standard are still applicable.

OSHA’s monitoring adviser is one of many laws created by the Department of Labor so that laws and resources can be better understood by employees and employers.  Take time to make sure you are following requirements set by your company’s unique cadmium level.