Section 325.51404. Monitoring.

(1) An employer shall undertake a program of initial monitoring and measurement in each establishment to determine if there is any employee exposed, without regard to the use of respirators, in excess of the action level.

(2)   If a determination conducted under subrule (1) of this rule shows any employee exposures, without regard to the use of respirators, in excess of the action level, then an employer shall establish a program for determining exposures for each* employee as

determined under subrule (1) of this rule. The following requirements apply to the program:

(a)   Shall be repeated at least quarterly if an employee is exposed, without regard to the use of respirators, in excess of the permissible exposure limit.

(b)   Shall be repeated not less than every 6 months quarterly if an employee is exposed, without regard to the use of respirators, in excess of the action level.

(c)    May be discontinued for an employee only if at least 2 consecutive monitoring determinations, made not less than 5 working days apart, show exposures for the employee at or below the action level.

(3)  If there is a production, process, or control change which may result in an increase in the release of vinyl chloride, or the employer has any other reason to suspect that any employee may be exposed in excess of the action level, then the employer shall ensure that a determination of employee exposure under subrule  (1) of this rule is performed.

(4)   An employer shall ensure that the method of monitoring and measurement has an accuracy, (with a confidence level of 95 percent), of not less than plus or minus 50 percent from 0.25 through 0.5 ppm, plus or minus 35 percent from over 0.5 ppm through

1.0 ppm, and plus or minus 25 percent over 1.0 ppm. Methods meeting these accuracy requirements are available in the “NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods”.

(5)  An employee or a designated representative shall be afforded reasonable opportunity to observe the monitoring and measuring required by these rules.

History: 2000 AACS; 2013 AACS.