Abstract
The January 19, 1989 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Air Contaminants rulemaking clearly indicated a need to keep the OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) in the Z-1-A Table current. Possible approaches to an updating procedure have been identified based on input from three primary sources: a review of formal comments submitted to the docket during the public hearing for the Air Contaminants rulemaking, past rulemaking in two states, and discussions with various individuals and organizations that participated in the OSHA rulemaking. The suggested approaches ranged from making relatively minor updates to developing full comprehensive standards for many substances. The assumptions used as the basis for determining which alternative is most appropriate; various alternatives and their deficiencies; and the recommended approach, including an estimate of the magnitude of the undertaking, are all analyzed and discussed. The recommended approach for updating the PELs would involve maximum use of individual substance guideline limits that are already published and generally accepted. Substances also could be nominated by the public. Data should be available in a form readily adaptable for use in defining OSHA PELs. The substances to be included would be selected from more listings than were considered for the January 1989 OSHA rulemaking, and a more extensive review of the literature would be performed in the pre-Notice of Proposed Rulemaking phase. This approach would satisfy all of OSHA's statutory rulemaking requirements and would be compatible with the continued development of individual substance comprehensive standards.