Exposure limits listed on material safety data sheets

August 18, 1986

Paul W. Willard, Ph.D.
Manager, Product Regulatory
Toxicology
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Dr. Willard:

This is in response to your letter of June 25 concerning the requirements for listing multiple exposure limits on material safety data sheets under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard (HCS).

It is the intent of the standard that employees and manufacturing users have a fundamental right to know the existing exposure limits of the substances with which they work. OSHA therefore encourages chemical manufacturers and importers to disclose all known exposure limits on the material safety data sheets.

From a compliance standpoint the material safety data sheet must contain the OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL), and any more protective exposure limit, if one or more exists. Failure to include a less protective exposure limit, other than the OSHA PEL, will be considered a de minimis violation and will not result in the issuance of a citation.

Please feel free to contact us again if further assistance is needed.

Sincerely,
John B. Miles, Jr., Director
Directorate of Field Operations

[Requester letter reproduced on OSHA page; omitted here.]