Obama administration plans new workplace limits on beryllium

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is proposing new safety rules to limit workplace exposure to beryllium, a type of metal used in aerospace, electronics and other industries that can cause serious health problems when it's ground into dust and inhaled.
The plan announced Thursday by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration would reduce exposure limits to one-tenth of the amount currently allowed. Officials estimate the change could prevent nearly 100 deaths and 50 serious illnesses each year.
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"This collaboration of industry and labor presents a historic opportunity to protect the lives and lungs of thousands of beryllium-exposed workers," OSHA head David Michaels said in a statement.
Workers who inhale beryllium dust or fumes can develop a debilitating, incurable disease called chronic beryllium disease and face a greater risk of developing lung cancer. Most current workers exposed to beryllium work in foundry and smelting operations, beryllium oxide ceramics and composites manufacturing, and dental lab work.
About 35,000 workers in the United States are exposed to beryllium, according to OSHA estimates.

PUBLISHED: 17:59 GMT, 6 August 2015

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3187258/Obama-administration-plans-new-workplace-limits-beryllium.html

Glossary:

exposure - exposição

beryllium - berílio

health problems - problemas de saúde

ground into dust - moído em pó

inhaled - inalado

one-tenth - um décimo

amount - quantidade, valor

currently - atualmente

allowed - permitido

illnesses - doenças

lungs - pulmões

thousands - milhares

disease - doença

foundry - fundição

smelting - fundição