Occupational Exposure to Asbestos; Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (1975)

OSHA's October 9, 1975 proposal to revise its asbestos standard (29 CFR 1910.1001) for all covered employment except construction, published complete here (pp. 47652-47665). It proposed lowering the eight-hour limit to 0.5 fibers per cubic centimeter and the 15-minute ceiling to 5 fibers/cc, keeping medical and monitoring records 40 years, and revised definitions of asbestos. It added rules on monitoring, hygiene, training, respirators, signs and labels. The text includes OSHA's review of the cancer evidence. The proposed medical examinations added sputum cytology for long-exposed or older workers.