OSHA Official Says Employee Exposure to Nanomaterials Has Never Led to Citation by Agency

An official at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA") stated recently that the agency has never cited an employer for exposing workers to nanomaterials. OSHA remains focused on prevention and the development of guidance measures to stop exposures before they happen. Moreover, because the agency is aware that workers can be exposed to nanomaterials at every step in the development of products containing the compounds, it is taking steps to ensure that there are mitigation techniques at every level, including from the manufacture of the raw materials, the products themselves, and in the recycling of nanomaterials. OSHA is currently working with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health ("NIOSH") to draft guidance materials for employers to use, including a safety and health fact sheet focusing on how to limit nanoparticle exposure.