Exposure Assessment

Employers are responsible for two types of exposure assessment:

• A breathing sample must be taken by the employer that represents an employee's 8-hour TWA for cadmium exposure.
• An air sample has to be taken for the job classification and in each work area for all of the shifts worked.

Employers must let all employees see the results within 15 days of monitoring.

If the monitoring results of the air samples indicate that the employee exposure exceeds the PEL, the employer must provide a statement in writing that the PEL has been exceeded and provide a description of the corrective action being taken to reduce exposure to or below the PEL.

If the monitoring results of the air samples indicate the cadmium level is at or exceeds the action level, air samples have to be retested at a minimum of once every six months as long as cadmium exposure is a risk. If in the periodic air sampling the level of cadmium falls below the action level, and if a repeat test done a minimum of seven days later also has the same results, the employer is allowed to stop the semi-annual testing of the employees whose exposure was monitored.

If at any time there is a change in process or control equipment that could increase cadmium exposure, additional monitoring is required.

To learn more about Cadmium Safety visit our Cadmium Safety Online Training web page.