The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced the publication of a Request for Information (RFI) to stakeholders and others requesting recommendations on how the agency might update its permissible exposure limits (PELs) for hundreds of chemicals, many of which have exposure limits dating back to 1970.

“Updating the PELs has been, and remains, the number one public policy issue for our members,” said American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) President-elect Daniel H. Anna, PhD, CIH, CSP. “The publication of this RFI marks a step forward for AIHA and other stakeholders who have long pushed for this update. We will continue to do everything possible to see that the problem of outdated PELs is addressed by OSHA and the federal government.”

The RFI is published in the Oct. 10 Federal Register. In light of this development, a new session at the 2014 AIHA Fall Conference will provide a forum for attendees to discuss what options might be considered to update the PELs. The discussion will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 10:30–11:30 a.m. ET, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Washington, D.C. Presenter William Perry, CIH, Director of the OSHA Directorate of Standards and Guidance, will outline the type of information the agency is requesting from stakeholders.