August 18, 2006—The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently posted to its Web site a new fact sheet focusing on the Health Effects of Hexavalent Chromium (.pdf file).
The document, one example of compliance assistance materials that will complement OSHA’s final standard on the compound (issued in February), offers preventative measures to reduce the harmful physical effects of hexavalent chromium, explains how employees can be exposed to it, and highlights some of the final standard’s requirements.
According to OSHA, hexavalent chromium is a toxic form of the element chromium. Hexavalent chromium compounds are man-made and widely used in many different industries. Skin exposure can occur during direct handling of hexavalent chromium-containing solutions, coatings, and cements.
