Union and Company Submit Draft Standard to Agency

The United Steelworkers (USW) and Materion Brush today announced that they have reached agreement on a model Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) beryllium standard and have sent it to the agency as a joint recommendation.

Materion Brush, the only U.S. producer of pure beryllium metal, accounts for more than half of the beryllium alloys and compounds produced in the United States. The USW represents workers who manufacture beryllium alloys and beryllium-containing products in a number of industries.

Beryllium, a valuable metal, is critical in many applications, including national defense. However, beryllium can cause a chronic and sometimes fatal disease of the lungs. Studies have also shown beryllium to cause cancer. The current permissible exposure limit is the lowest for any common metal, but it is widely acknowledged to be too high ... more