A recommended exposure limit (REL) is an occupational exposure limit that has been recommended by the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH, ) is the United States federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. NIOSH is part of the C ...

. The REL is a level that NIOSH believes would be protective of worker safety and health over a working lifetime if used in combination with engineering and work practice controls, exposure and medical monitoring, posting and labeling of hazards, worker training and

personal protective equipment Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, ...

. To formulate these recommendations, NIOSH evaluates all known and available medical, biological, engineering, chemical, trade, and other information. Although not legally enforceable limits, RELS are transmitted to the

Occupational Safety and Health Administration The Occupational Safety and Health Administration'' (OSHA ) is a large regulatory agency of the United States Department of Labor that originally had federal visitorial powers to inspect and examine workplaces. Congress established the agen ...

(OSHA) or the

Mine Safety and Health Administration The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) () is a large agency of the United States Department of Labor which administers the provisions of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act) to enforce compliance with mandatory safe ...

(MSHA) of the

U.S. Department of Labor The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is one of the United States federal executive departments, executive departments of the federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government. It is responsible for the administration of fede ...

for use in promulgating legal standards. All RELs are located in the ''NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards'', along with other key data for 677 chemical or substance groupings. The ''Pocket Guide'' is a source of general industrial hygiene information for workers, employers, and occupational health professionals. NIOSH recommendations are also published in a variety of documents, including: * Criteria documents - These recommend workplace exposure limits and appropriate preventive measures to reduce or eliminate adverse health effects and accidental injuries. * Current Intelligence Bulletins (CIBs) - These share new scientific information about occupational hazards, highlighting a formerly unrecognized hazard, reporting new data on a known hazard, or presenting information on hazard control. * Alerts, Special Hazard Reviews, Occupational Hazard Assessments, and Technical Guidelines - These assess the safety and health problems associated with a given agent or hazard and recommend appropriate control and surveillance methods. Although these documents are not intended to supplant the more comprehensive criteria documents, they are prepared to assist OSHA and MSHA in the formulation of regulation. In addition to these publications, NIOSH periodically presents testimony before various Congressional committees and at OSHA and MSHA rulemaking hearings.

References

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External links

NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Environmental standards Chemical safety