RadonintheWorkplace,TheOSHAIonizingRadiationRegulationsRobertK.LewisPADEP,BureauofRadiationProtection,RadonDivisionHarrisburg,PAUSAINTRODUCTIONTheOccupationalSafetyandHealthAdministration(OSHA)isthefederalagencyresponsibleforthesafetyofAmericanworkers.Theiroverallmissionistosavelives,preventinjuries,andprotecttheAmericanworkforce.ThevastmajorityofAmericanworkersarecoveredbytheOccupationalSafetyandHealthActof1970.OnespecificpartoftheOSHAmissionistoprotecttheAmericanworkforcefromunnecessaryexposuretoionizingradiation,andasitrelatestothispapertheradioactivegasRadon-222.DuetothefactthattheOSHAionizingradiationregulationshavenotbeenupdatedsincetheirinceptionin1970,someconfusionhasarisenastowhataretheapplicablelimitingexposurevaluesforRn-222intheworkplace.TheAct:Toassuresafeandhealthfulworkingconditionsforworkingmenandwomen;byauthorizingenforcementofthestandardsdevelopedundertheAct;byassistingandencouragingtheStatesintheireffortstoassuresafeandhealthfulworkingconditions;byprovidingforresearch,information,education,andtraininginthefieldofoccupationalsafetyandhealth;andforotherpurposes.TheprimarydutyundertheAct:Eachemployershallfurnishtoeachofhisemployeesemploymentandaplaceofemployment,whicharefreefromrecognizedhazardsthatarecausingorarelikelytocausedeathorseriousphysicalharmtohisemployees.What’scoveredundertheAct:OSHAcoversallradiationsourcesnotregulatedbytheU.S.AtomicEnergyActof1954.ThiswouldincludeX-rayequipment,accelerators,accelerator-producedmaterials,electronmicroscopes,betratrons,andsomenaturallyoccurringradioactivematerials.Who’scoveredundertheAct:ThisActshallapplywithrespecttoemploymentinaworkplaceinastate…Section4ApplicabilityofthisAct.OSHAcoverstheprivatesectorinStatesthatdonothaveanapprovedOSHAplan.OSHAalsocoversfederalworkersexceptsomeDepartmentofDefenseworkers.Thereareapproximately6.5millionworkplacescoveredbyAct.Who’snotcoveredundertheAct:Miners,constructionworkerscoveredunder29CFR1926,andStateandlocalworkersinthe26statesthathavenotenteredintoanagreementwithOSHAtoenforcetheirregulations.PennsylvaniaisanexampleofonestatethathasnotenteredintoanagreementwithOHSA,andthereforeitsstateandlocalgovernmentemployeesmaybecoveredbythePennsylvaniaDepartmentofLaborandIndustry,localcodes,ornothingatall.StateOSHAPrograms:OSHAencouragesStatestodevelopandoperatetheirownjobsafetyandhealthprograms.Therearecurrently22StatesandjurisdictionsoperatingcompleteStateplans,coveringbothprivatesectorandStateandlocalgovernmentemployees:Alaska,Arizona,California,Hawaii,Indiana,Iowa,Kentucky,Maryland,Michigan,Minnesota,Nevada,NewMexico,NorthCarolina,Oregon,PuertoRico,SouthCarolina,Tennessee,Utah,Vermont,Virginia,Washington,andWyoming.TherearefourStates,whichcoverpublicemployeesonly;Connecticut,NewJersey,NewYork,andVirginIslands.UndertheseStateplansOSHArelinquishesitsauthoritytotheStatestocoveroccupationalsafetyandhealthmatters.IfanemployeefindsahealthandsafetyhazardtheywouldbringtheircomplaintdirectlytotheState.InStateswithoutanOSHAProgram,OSHAistheresponsibleagencyforworkplacehealthandsafetyissues.WhatisanOccupationalIllness:Anyabnormalconditionordisorder,otherthanoneresultingfromanoccupationalinjury,causedbyexposuretoenvironmentalfactorsassociatedwithemployment.Includedareacuteandchronicillnessesordiseasesthatmaybecausedbyinhalation,absorption,ingestion,ordirectcontactwithtoxicsubstanceso...
