Materion Brush Inc. Statement on Submitting Model Beryllium Standard to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
On February 8, 2012, the United Steelworkers announced that they, along with Materion Brush Inc., submitted a model beryllium standard to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). It was sent to OSHA accompanied by a request that OSHA frame the agency’s proposed beryllium standard around the provisions in the model standard. Materion Brush Inc. is informing its customers, employees, and other key stakeholders of this unprecedented process.
Materion Brush Inc. has invested substantially in acquiring new scientific knowledge on how to best protect our workers and customers’ employees from the potential health effects of beryllium. As a research partner with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for over 13 years, Materion Brush Inc. has embraced an open dialogue on beryllium worker health and safety. From the research results, Materion Brush Inc. built a highly effective beryllium health and safety program, which the company has disseminated worldwide via www.berylliumsafety.com. This beryllium research-to-practice program has been validated in the workplace through studies performed by NIOSH and Materion Brush.
Materion Brush started a conversation with the United Steelworkers two years ago, which resulted in reaching an agreement on the elements of an occupational health standard for beryllium. We are hopeful OSHA’s proposed standard will reflect the collective expertise of organized labor and the beryllium industry, and the model standard will expedite the agency’s beryllium rulemaking process.
This collaborative process put worker protection first while providing a positive and economically beneficial result for workers, customers, government, and the beryllium-producing and fabricating industries. This approach demonstrates industry and labor can collaborate to protect workers, protect jobs and serves as a guide for OSHA to consider in preparing future standards regarding all materials. We are pleased with the outcome of this process.
If you have any questions or comments regarding this announcement, please call the Beryllium Health and Safety Information Line at (800) 862-4118 or click here to e-mail us. Important information regarding the safe use and handling of beryllium and beryllium-containing materials can be found on our website at materion.com.