The consumer watchdog group Public Citizen and the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical & Energy Workers International Union (PACE) have filed a petition with OSHA demanding lower workplace exposure limits for beryllium, a commonly used material in products such as sporting goods, dental equipment and airline parts.
The suit seeks to reduce the acceptable federal exposure standard from 2 micrograms per cubic meter to 0.2 micrograms. OSHA's current exposure limit for beryllium was adopted in 1970 based upon standards set by the Atomic Energy Commission in 1949.