OSHA News

Building Trades Unions Reach Agreement with OSHA on Hexavalent Chromium Lawsuit

(April 11, 2007)--The Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD), AFL-CIO, and two labor unions settled a lawsuit April 6 against the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to protect workers from hexavalent chromium, or "hex chrome," a deadly chemical found in portland cement, a product widely used in construction.The settlement will require OSHA to inspect construction sites for safety procedures to reduce worker exposure to hex chrome, a known carcinogen and toxin hazardous to skin, eyes and lungs.

The agreement requires OSHA compliance officers to evaluate whether employers using portland cement are complying with standards requiring them to provide proper washing facilities and supplies, personal protective
equipment, information on hazards in construction materials, adequate worker training, and to maintain accurate injury and illness records. Workers gained extra protections in the settlement. OSHA compliance
officers must indicate clearly on reports whenever they inspect a construction site where portland cement is being used. The detailed reporting enables the BCTD to determine how well OSHA is complying with the
terms of the agreement.

The BCTD and the two unions, the Laborers' International Union of North America and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, sued OSHA in April 2006 after OSHA issued its new Hexavalent Chromium Standard excluding exposures to portland cement. Unions had spent years in the rulemaking process, submitting evidence and giving testimony on the negative health effects of hex chrome.

The effects of exposure to hex chrome are well documented. Very small quantities of hex chrome in the cement can cause some exposed workers to develop allergic contact dermatitis, a skin disease so severe that they are unable to work with cement, essentially ending their career. Prolonged exposure to portland cement can cause severe caustic burns, require skin grafts or even limb amputation. Inhaling large quantities of dry portland cement during terrazzo work, jobsite mixing of concrete, and mixing mortar can cause severe lung hazards.

Share or bookmarklet this web page at: