Methods of Compliance

Employers must institute engineering controls and work practices to reduce and maintain employee exposure to benzene at or lower than the employee exposure limits. Employers are exempted from this requirement only to the extent that they can establish that these controls are not feasible.

In some cases the feasible engineering controls and work practices may be insufficient to reduce employee exposure to or lower than the PEL, the STEL, or both. In these instances, employers should use engineering controls and work practices to reduce employee exposure to the lowest levels achievable and supplement them by the use of respiratory protection.

Specific rules apply to employers who can document that benzene is used in their workplaces less than 30 days per year. These employers should use engineering controls, work practice controls, or respiratory protection, or any combination of these controls, to reduce employee exposure to benzene to or lower than the PEL, the STEL, or both. These employers must also use engineering and work practice controls, if feasible, to reduce airborne exposure to or lower than 10 ppm as an 8-hour time-weighted average.

To learn more about Benzene Safety visit our Cal/OSHA Benzene Safety Online Training web page.