Occupational exposure limits and their economic costs

This report reviews the procedures for setting occupational exposure limits in five countries (USA, German Federal Republic, United Kingdom, Sweden and Alberta, Canada) with particular emphasis on the assessment of the economic impact of the limits on industry. The methods range from complex data gathering and consultative procedures such as that adopted by the USA to the much simpler and quicker methods used by Sweden and Alberta. In the former situation considerable efforts are made to ascertain the economic cost of proposed regulations whilst in the latter cases little attention is given to the financial implication of introducing occupational exposure limits.A number of other systems for controlling exposure to hazardous materials have been proposed, including self regulation, no liability compensation for industrial injury or performance standards. The report discusses these options and concludes that these systems are unlikely to provide generally applicable systems for regulating harmful exposures.Data relating to economic cost of introducing occupational exposure limits are only available in the USA, although all of the countries made some assessment of the financial implications of their occupational exposure limits. This lack of information can only hinder the proper interpretation of the standards adopted.