The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) last week ratified the 2002 Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) for chemical substances and physical agents and Biological Exposure Indices (BEIs). The organization's Board of Directors also approved recommendations for additions to the Notice of Intended Change (NIC).

A complete listing of the substances that were acted upon is located on the ACGIH Web site, at www.acgih.org. Draft documentation for the substances on the NIC are currently available for purchase from the ACGIH.

Included in the physical agents TLVs 2002 NIC are Acoustic (Noise) and Ergonomics (Lifting).

Serving as guidelines for industrial hygiene professionals, TLVs and BEIs are health-based values established by committees that review existing published and peer-reviewed literature in various scientific disciplines. ACGIH formulates a conclusion on what level of exposure a typical worker can experience without an unreasonable risk of disease or injury.

The 2002 TLVs & BEIs book and the Guide to Occupational Exposure Values - 2002 will be available in March.