OSHA Adds Hexavalent Chromium to Shipyards Standards

Hexavalent chromium [Chromium (VI) [hexavalent chromium or Cr(VI)]”means chromium with a valence of positive six, inany form and in any compound.] has been added to the list of air contaminants whose concentrations should not exceed stated exposure levels in the OSHA guidance document Shipyard Industry Standards.

"The Maritime Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health recommended that OSHA update and republish the shipyard and longshoring industry digests," said acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Jordan Barab. "The revised document is now up-to-date with current standards and will continue to serve as another resource for protecting the safety and health of shipyard workers."

Shipyard Industry Standards revises the existing Shipyard Industry Digest and incorporates new shipyard employment requirements that have been developed and finalized since the booklet was last published in 1998. It lists the guidelines for safety and health programs in the industry and incorporates topics such as management commitment; employee participation; hazard identification, assessment and control; and program evaluation.

Soldiers Exposed to Chromium in Iraq File Suit

Soldiers who have been exposed to hexavalent chromium, a carcinogen, have filed suit against a government contractor. The present and former soldiers have brought a claims against KBR (Kellogg, Brown & Root), a subsidiary of Halliburton, for concealing the contamination and knowingly exposing them to potential harm. The chromium chemical, sodium dichromate, was utilized to prevent corrosion.

The Oregon legislature has held hearings on pending legislation to assist the ill soldiers. One Oregon soldier has died of complications of leukemia at the age of 21.