| SEPTEMBER 03, 05:43 EDT
Group Seeks Strict Rules on Beryllium WASHINGTON (AP) — A watchdog group wants government to lower the amount
of the metal beryllium that U.S. workers can be exposed to while on the
job. The metal has been linked to a fatal lung disease. Public Citizen, a nonprofit group founded by Ralph Nader, argues that
the current standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration are lax and put workers at risk. The metal is used in electronics, recycling, machining and dental
industries because it is lightweight and resilient. Public Citizen wants
the exposure standard for beryllium particles changed from 2 micrograms
per cubic meter to 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter. ``OSHA's failure to adopt a standard that will protect workers from
unnecessary beryllium exposure is unconscionable,'' said Peter Lure,
director of Public Citizen's health research group. ``Every day the agency
ignores this issue, tens of thousands of workers are needlessly exposed to
this life-threatening hazard.'' Public Citizen said it was filing a petition with OSHA seeking the
changes. OSHA spokeswoman Bonnie Friedman said the agency had not received
the petition as of Friday afternoon and declined to comment on it. Public Citizen is also asking for rules that would mandate annual blood
testing for all workers who deal with the metal. Beryllium disease once was associated primarily with the defense
industry, where the metal was used in nuclear weapons, but it is
increasingly common among workers in private and consumer industries.
The disease, caused when the metal's dust slowly damages the lungs of
people who have been exposed, is rare, incurable and often fatal. The number of beryllium disease cases among workers in private
industries has increased in the past few years, according to the National
Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, a leading respiratory
disease hospital. The Labor Department is providing compensation for workers who
contracted beryllium disease while working at weapons plants. The law
provides medical care and $150,000 to sick workers. ——— On The Net: Public Citizen: http://www.citizen.org/ Occupational Safety and Health Administration: http://www.osha.gov/
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