Voluntary limits face legal attacks

For the first time ever, lawsuits have been filed attacking the basis and legality of voluntary Threshold Limit Values set by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. In its 62-year history, ACGIH TLVs have never faced a legal challenge.

Anchor Glass Container Corporation and other producers and users of sodium sesquicarbonate (Trona) are seeking to prohibit ACGIH from publishing a Trona TLV. The Refractory Ceramic Fibers Coalition has filed a suit claiming that ACGIH is a standards-setting organization and that the TLV for synthetic vitreous fiber (specifically refractory ceramic fibers) is unreasonable and unjustified.

The third suit charges ACGIH and more than 20 other defendants of withholding evidence regarding vinyl chloride that led to the death of a worker.

ACGIH is concerned that the first two of these suits strike at the heart of whether ACGIH, or any other organization, can freely publish the results of its research.

ON DEMAND: A discussion of new data on trends in falls and updated resources from CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training and the OSHA-NIOSH-CPWR National Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction.