29 Cfr 1910.1052

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Title 29: Labor
PART 1910—OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS (CONTINUED)
Subpart Z—Toxic and Hazardous Substances

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§ 1910.1052 Methylene Chloride.

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Ben's Guide
to U.S.
Government

This occupational health standard establishes requirements for employers to control
occupational exposure to methylene chloride (MC). Employees exposed to MC are
at increased risk of developing cancer, adverse effects on the heart, central nervous
system and liver, and skin or eye irritation. Exposure may occur through inhalation,
by absorption through the skin, or through contact with the skin. MC is a solvent
which is used in many different types of work activities, such as paint stripping,
polyurethane foam manufacturing, and cleaning and degreasing. Under the
requirements of paragraph (d) of this section, each covered employer must make an
initial determination of each employee's exposure to MC. If the employer
determines that employees are exposed below the action level, the only other
provisions of this section that apply are that a record must be made of the
determination, the employees must receive information and training under
paragraph (l) of this section and, where appropriate, employees must be protected
from contact with liquid MC under paragraph (h) of this section. The provisions of
the MC standard are as follows:
(a) Scope and application. This section applies to all occupational exposures to
methylene chloride (MC), Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number 75–09–2,
in general industry, construction and shipyard employment.
(b) Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following definitions shall
apply:
Action level means a concentration of airborne MC of 12.5 parts per million (ppm)
calculated as an eight (8)-hour time-weighted average (TWA).
Assistant Secretary means the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety
and Health, U.S. Department of Labor, or designee.
Authorized person means any person specifically authorized by the employer and

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required by work duties to be present in regulated areas, or any person entering
such an area as a designated representative of employees for the purpose of
exercising the right to observe monitoring and measuring procedures under
paragraph (d) of this section, or any other person authorized by the OSH Act or
regulations issued under the Act.
Director means the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or designee.
Emergency means any occurrence, such as, but not limited to, equipment failure,
rupture of containers, or failure of control equipment, which results, or is likely to
result in an uncontrolled release of MC. If an incidental release of MC can be
controlled by employees such as maintenance personnel at the time of release and
in accordance with the leak/spill provisions required by paragraph (f) of this
section, it is not considered an emergency as defined by this standard.
Employee exposure means exposure to airborne MC which occurs or would occur if
the employee were not using respiratory protection.
Methylene chloride (MC) means an organic compound with chemical formula,
CH 2 Cl 2 . Its Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number is 75–09–2. Its molecular
weight is 84.9 g/mole.
Physician or other licensed health care professional is an individual whose legally
permitted scope of practice (i.e., license, registration, or certification) allows him or
her to independently provide or be delegated the responsibility to provide some or
all of the health care services required by paragraph (j) of this section.
Regulated area means an area, demarcated by the employer, where an employee's
exposure to airborne concentrations of MC exceeds or can reasonably be expected
to exceed either the 8-hour TWA PEL or the STEL.
Symptom means central nervous system effects such as headaches, disorientation,
dizziness, fatigue, and decreased attention span; skin effects such as chapping,
erythema, cracked skin, or skin burns; and cardiac effects such as chest pain or
shortness of breath.
This section means this methylene chloride standard.
(c) Permissible exposure limits (PELs) —(1) Eight-hour time-weighted average
(TWA) PEL. The employer shall ensure that no employee is exposed to an airborne
concentration of MC in excess of twenty-five parts of MC per million parts of air
(25 ppm) as an 8-hour TWA.
(2) Short-term exposure limit (STEL). The employer shall ensure that no employee
is exposed to an airborne concentration of MC in excess of one hundred and
twenty-five parts of MC per million parts of air (125 ppm) as determined over a
sampling period of fifteen minutes.
(d) Exposure monitoring —(1) Characterization of employee exposure. (i) Where
MC is present in the workplace, the employer shall determine each employee's
exposure by either:
(A) Taking a personal breathing zone air sample of each employee's exposure; or

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(B) Taking personal breathing zone air samples that are representative of each
employee's exposure.
(ii) Representative samples. The employer may consider personal breathing zone
air samples to be representative of employee exposures when they are taken as
follows:
(A) 8-hour TWA PEL. The employer has taken one or more personal breathing
zone air samples for at least one employee in each job classification in a work area
during every work shift, and the employee sampled is expected to have the highest
MC exposure.
(B) Short-term exposure limits. The employer has taken one or more personal
breathing zone air samples which indicate the highest likely 15-minute exposures
during such operations for at least one employee in each job classification in the
work area during every work shift, and the employee sampled is expected to have
the highest MC exposure.
(C) Exception. Personal breathing zone air samples taken during one work shift
may be used to represent employee exposures on other work shifts where the
employer can document that the tasks performed and conditions in the workplace
are similar across shifts.
(iii) Accuracy of monitoring. The employer shall ensure that the methods used to
perform exposure monitoring produce results that are accurate to a confidence level
of 95 percent, and are:
(A) Within plus or minus 25 percent for airborne concentrations of MC above the
8-hour TWA PEL or the STEL; or
(B) Within plus or minus 35 percent for airborne concentrations of MC at or above
the action level but at or below the 8-hour TWA PEL.
(2) Initial determination. Each employer whose employees are exposed to MC shall
perform initial exposure monitoring to determine each affected employee's
exposure, except under the following conditions:
(i) Where objective data demonstrate that MC cannot be released in the workplace
in airborne concentrations at or above the action level or above the STEL. The
objective data shall represent the highest MC exposures likely to occur under
reasonably foreseeable conditions of processing, use, or handling. The employer
shall document the objective data exemption as specified in paragraph (m) of this
section;
(ii) Where the employer has performed exposure monitoring within 12 months
prior to April 10, 1997 and that exposure monitoring meets all other requirements
of this section, and was conducted under conditions substantially equivalent to
existing conditions; or
(iii) Where employees are exposed to MC on fewer than 30 days per year (e.g., on
a construction site), and the employer has measurements by direct-reading
instruments which give immediate results (such as a detector tube) and which
provide sufficient information regarding employee exposures to determine what
control measures are necessary to reduce exposures to acceptable levels.

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(3) Periodic monitoring. Where the initial determination shows employee
exposures at or above the action level or above the STEL, the employer shall
establish an exposure monitoring program for periodic monitoring of employee
exposure to MC in accordance with Table 1:
Table 1—Initial Determination Exposure Scenarios and Their Associated
Monitoring Frequencies
Exposure
scenario
Required monitoring activity
Below
No 8-hour TWA or STEL monitoring required.
the action
level and
at or
below the
STEL
Below
No 8-hour TWA monitoring required; monitor STEL exposures every
the action three months.
level and
above the
STEL
At or
Monitor 8-hour TWA exposures every six months.
above the
action
level, at
or below
the TWA,
and at or
below the
STEL
At or
Monitor 8-hour TWA exposures every six months and monitor STEL
above the exposures every three months.
action
level, at
or below
the TWA,
and
above the
STEL
Above
Monitor 8-hour TWA exposures every three months. In addition,
the TWA without regard to the last sentence of the note to paragraph (d)(3), the
and at or following employers must monitor STEL exposures every three months
below the until either the date by which they must achieve the 8-hour TWA PEL
STEL
under paragraph (n) of this section or the date by which they in fact
achieve the 8-hour TWA PEL, whichever comes first: employers
engaged in polyurethane foam manufacturing; foam fabrication;
furniture refinishing; general aviation aircraft stripping; product
formulation; use of MC-based adhesives for boat building and repair,
recreational vehicle manufacture, van conversion, or upholstery; and
use of MC in construction work for restoration and preservation of
buildings, painting and paint removal, cabinet making, or floor
refinishing and resurfacing.

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Above
Monitor 8-hour TWA exposures and STEL exposures every three
the TWA months.
and
above the
STEL
[Note to paragraph (d)(3): The employer may decrease the frequency of 8-hour TWA exposure
monitoring to every six months when at least two consecutive measurements taken at least seven days
apart show exposures to be at or below the 8-hour TWA PEL. The employer may discontinue the
periodic 8-hour TWA monitoring for employees where at least two consecutive measurements taken at
least seven days apart are below the action level. The employer may discontinue the periodic STEL
monitoring for employees where at least two consecutive measurements taken at least 7 days apart are
at or below the STEL.]

(4) Additional monitoring. (i) The employer shall perform exposure monitoring
when a change in workplace conditions indicates that employee exposure may have
increased. Examples of situations that may require additional monitoring include
changes in production, process, control equipment, or work practices, or a leak,
rupture, or other breakdown.
(ii) Where exposure monitoring is performed due to a spill, leak, rupture or
equipment breakdown, the employer shall clean-up the MC and perform the
appropriate repairs before monitoring.
(5) Employee notification of monitoring results. (i) The employer shall, within 15
working days after the receipt of the results of any monitoring performed under
this section, notify each affected employee of these results in writing, either
individually or by posting of results in an appropriate location that is accessible to
affected employees.
(ii) Whenever monitoring results indicate that employee exposure is above the 8hour TWA PEL or the STEL, the employer shall describe in the written
notification the corrective action being taken to reduce employee exposure to or
below the 8-hour TWA PEL or STEL and the schedule for completion of this
action.
(6) Observation of monitoring —(i) Employee observation. The employer shall
provide affected employees or their designated representatives an opportunity to
observe any monitoring of employee exposure to MC conducted in accordance with
this section.
(ii) Observation procedures. When observation of the monitoring of employee
exposure to MC requires entry into an area where the use of protective clothing or
equipment is required, the employer shall provide, at no cost to the observer(s), and
the observer(s) shall be required to use such clothing and equipment and shall
comply with all other applicable safety and health procedures.
(e) Regulated areas. (1) The employer shall establish a regulated area wherever an
employee's exposure to airborne concentrations of MC exceeds or can reasonably
be expected to exceed either the 8-hour TWA PEL or the STEL.
(2) The employer shall limit access to regulated areas to authorized persons.
(3) The employer shall supply a respirator, selected in accordance with paragraph
(h)(3) of this section, to each person who enters a regulated area and shall require

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each affected employee to use that respirator whenever MC exposures are likely to
exceed the 8-hour TWA PEL or STEL.
[Note to paragraph (e)(3): An employer who has implemented all feasible engineering, work practice
and administrative controls (as required in paragraph (f) of this section), and who has established a
regulated area (as required by paragraph (e)(1) of this section) where MC exposure can be reliably
predicted to exceed the 8-hour TWA PEL or the STEL only on certain days (for example, because of
work or process schedule) would need to have affected employees use respirators in that regulated area
only on those days.]

(4) The employer shall ensure that, within a regulated area, employees do not
engage in non-work activities which may increase dermal or oral MC exposure.
(5) The employer shall ensure that while employees are wearing respirators, they do
not engage in activities (such as taking medication or chewing gum or tobacco)
which interfere with respirator seal or performance.
(6) The employer shall demarcate regulated areas from the rest of the workplace in
any manner that adequately establishes and alerts employees to the boundaries of
the area and minimizes the number of authorized employees exposed to MC within
the regulated area.
(7) An employer at a multi-employer worksite who establishes a regulated area
shall communicate the access restrictions and locations of these areas to all other
employers with work operations at that worksite.
(f) Methods of compliance —(1) Engineering and work practice controls. The
employer shall institute and maintain the effectiveness of engineering controls and
work practices to reduce employee exposure to or below the PELs except to the
extent that the employer can demonstrate that such controls are not feasible.
Wherever the feasible engineering controls and work practices which can be
instituted are not sufficient to reduce employee exposure to or below the 8–TWA
PEL or STEL, the employer shall use them to reduce employee exposure to the
lowest levels achievable by these controls and shall supplement them by the use of
respiratory protection that complies with the requirements of paragraph (g) of this
section.
(2) Prohibition of rotation. The employer shall not implement a schedule of
employee rotation as a means of compliance with the PELs.
(3) Leak and spill detection. (i) The employer shall implement procedures to detect
leaks of MC in the workplace. In work areas where spills may occur, the employer
shall make provisions to contain any spills and to safely dispose of any MCcontaminated waste materials.
(ii) The employer shall ensure that all incidental leaks are repaired and that
incidental spills are cleaned promptly by employees who use the appropriate
personal protective equipment and are trained in proper methods of cleanup.
[Note to paragraph (f)(3)(ii): See appendix A of this section for examples of procedures that satisfy this
requirement. Employers covered by this standard may also be subject to the hazardous waste and
emergency response provisions contained in 29 CFR 1910.120 (q).]

(g) Respiratory protection —(1) General. For employees who use respirators
required by this section, the employer must provide each employee an appropriate
respirator that complies with the requirements of this paragraph. Respirators must
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be used during:
(i) Periods when an employee's exposure to MC exceeds the 8-hour TWA PEL, or
STEL (for example, when an employee is using MC in a regulated area).
(ii) Periods necessary to install or implement feasible engineering and workpractice controls.
(iii) A few work operations, such as some maintenance operations and repair
activities, for which the employer demonstrates that engineering and work-practice
controls are infeasible.
(iv) Work operations for which feasible engineering and work-practice controls are
not sufficient to reduce employee exposures to or below the PELs.
(v) Emergencies.
(2) Respirator program. (i) The employer must implement a respiratory protection
program in accordance with §1910.13(b) through (m) (except (d)(1)(iii)), which
covers each employee required by this section to use a respirator.
(ii) Employers who provide employees with gas masks with organic-vapor canisters
for the purpose of emergency escape must replace the canisters after any
emergency use and before the gas masks are returned to service.
(3) Respirator selection . Employers must:
(i) Select, and provide to employees, the appropriate atmosphere-supplying
respirator specified in paragraph (d)(3)(i)(A) of 29 CFR 1910.134; however,
employers must not select or use half masks of any type because MC may cause
eye irritation or damage.
(ii) For emergency escape, provide employees with one of the following respirator
options: A self-contained breathing apparatus operated in the continuous-flow or
pressure-demand mode; or a gas mask with an organic vapor canister.
(4) Medical evaluation. Before having an employee use a supplied-air respirator in
the negative-pressure mode, or a gas mask with an organic-vapor canister for
emergency escape, the employer must:
(i) Have a physician or other licensed health-care professional (PLHCP) evaluate
the employee's ability to use such respiratory protection.
(ii) Ensure that the PLHCP provides their findings in a written opinion to the
employee and the employer.
(h) Protective Work Clothing and Equipment. (1) Where needed to prevent MCinduced skin or eye irritation, the employer shall provide clean protective clothing
and equipment which is resistant to MC, at no cost to the employee, and shall
ensure that each affected employee uses it. Eye and face protection shall meet the
requirements of 29 CFR 1910.133 or 29 CFR 1915.153, as applicable.
(2) The employer shall clean, launder, repair and replace all protective clothing and
equipment required by this paragraph as needed to maintain their effectiveness.

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(3) The employer shall be responsible for the safe disposal of such clothing and
equipment.
[Note to paragraph (h)(4): See appendix A for examples of disposal procedures that will satisfy this
requirement.]

(i) Hygiene facilities. (1) If it is reasonably foreseeable that employees' skin may
contact solutions containing 0.1 percent or greater MC (for example, through
splashes, spills or improper work practices), the employer shall provide
conveniently located washing facilities capable of removing the MC, and shall
ensure that affected employees use these facilities as needed.
(2) If it is reasonably foreseeable that an employee's eyes may contact solutions
containing 0.1 percent or greater MC (for example through splashes, spills or
improper work practices), the employer shall provide appropriate eyewash facilities
within the immediate work area for emergency use, and shall ensure that affected
employees use those facilities when necessary.
(j) Medical surveillance —(1) Affected employees. The employer shall make
medical surveillance available for employees who are or may be exposed to MC as
follows:
(i) At or above the action level on 30 or more days per year, or above the 8- hour
TWA PEL or the STEL on 10 or more days per year;
(ii) Above the 8–TWA PEL or STEL for any time period where an employee has
been identified by a physician or other licensed health care professional as being at
risk from cardiac disease or from some other serious MC-related health condition
and such employee requests inclusion in the medical surveillance program;
(iii) During an emergency.
(2) Costs. The employer shall provide all required medical surveillance at no cost to
affected employees, without loss of pay and at a reasonable time and place.
(3) Medical personnel. The employer shall ensure that all medical surveillance
procedures are performed by a physician or other licensed health care professional,
as defined in paragraph (b) of this section.
(4) Frequency of medical surveillance. The employer shall make medical
surveillance available to each affected employee as follows:
(i) Initial surveillance. The employer shall provide initial medical surveillance
under the schedule provided by paragraph (n)(2)(iii) of this section, or before the
time of initial assignment of the employee, whichever is later. The employer need
not provide the initial surveillance if medical records show that an affected
employee has been provided with medical surveillance that complies with this
section within 12 months before April 10, 1997.
(ii) Periodic medical surveillance. The employer shall update the medical and work
history for each affected employee annually. The employer shall provide periodic
physical examinations, including appropriate laboratory surveillance, as follows:
(A) For employees 45 years of age or older, within 12 months of the initial
surveillance or any subsequent medical surveillance; and

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(B) For employees younger than 45 years of age, within 36 months of the initial
surveillance or any subsequent medical surveillance.
(iii) Termination of employment or reassignment. When an employee leaves the
employer's workplace, or is reassigned to an area where exposure to MC is
consistently at or below the action level and STEL, medical surveillance shall be
made available if six months or more have elapsed since the last medical
surveillance.
(iv) Additional surveillance. The employer shall provide additional medical
surveillance at frequencies other than those listed above when recommended in the
written medical opinion. (For example, the physician or other licensed health care
professional may determine an examination is warranted in less than 36 months for
employees younger than 45 years of age based upon evaluation of the results of the
annual medical and work history.)
(5) Content of medical surveillance —(i) Medical and work history. The
comprehensive medical and work history shall emphasize neurological symptoms,
skin conditions, history of hematologic or liver disease, signs or symptoms
suggestive of heart disease (angina, coronary artery disease), risk factors for cardiac
disease, MC exposures, and work practices and personal protective equipment used
during such exposures.
[Note to paragraph (j)(5)(i): See appendix B of this section for an example of a medical and work
history format that would satisfy this requirement.]

(ii) Physical examination. Where physical examinations are provided as required
above, the physician or other licensed health care professional shall accord
particular attention to the lungs, cardiovascular system (including blood pressure
and pulse), liver, nervous system, and skin. The physician or other licensed health
care professional shall determine the extent and nature of the physical examination
based on the health status of the employee and analysis of the medical and work
history.
(iii) Laboratory surveillance. The physician or other licensed health care
professional shall determine the extent of any required laboratory surveillance
based on the employee's observed health status and the medical and work history.
[Note to paragraph (j)(5)(iii): See appendix B of this section for information regarding medical tests.
Laboratory surveillance may include before- and after-shift carboxyhemoglobin determinations, resting
ECG, hematocrit, liver function tests and cholesterol levels.]

(iv) Other information or reports. The medical surveillance shall also include any
other information or reports the physician or other licensed health care professional
determines are necessary to assess the employee's health in relation to MC
exposure.
(6) Content of emergency medical surveillance. The employer shall ensure that
medical surveillance made available when an employee has been exposed to MC in
emergency situations includes, at a minimum:
(i) Appropriate emergency treatment and decontamination of the exposed
employee;
(ii) Comprehensive physical examination with special emphasis on the nervous

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system, cardiovascular system, lungs, liver and skin, including blood pressure and
pulse;
(iii) Updated medical and work history, as appropriate for the medical condition of
the employee; and
(iv) Laboratory surveillance, as indicated by the employee's health status.
[Note to paragraph (j)(6)(iv): See appendix B for examples of tests which may be appropriate.]

(7) Additional examinations and referrals. Where the physician or other licensed
health care professional determines it is necessary, the scope of the medical
examination shall be expanded and the appropriate additional medical surveillance,
such as referrals for consultation or examination, shall be provided.
(8) Information provided to the physician or other licensed health care
professional. The employer shall provide the following information to a physician
or other licensed health care professional who is involved in the diagnosis of MCinduced health effects:
(i) A copy of this section including its applicable appendices;
(ii) A description of the affected employee's past, current and anticipated future
duties as they relate to the employee's MC exposure;
(iii) The employee's former or current exposure levels or, for employees not yet
occupationally exposed to MC, the employee's anticipated exposure levels and the
frequency and exposure levels anticipated to be associated with emergencies;
(iv) A description of any personal protective equipment, such as respirators, used
or to be used; and
(v) Information from previous employment-related medical surveillance of the
affected employee which is not otherwise available to the physician or other
licensed health care professional.
(9) Written medical opinions. (i) For each physical examination required by this
section, the employer shall ensure that the physician or other licensed health care
professional provides to the employer and to the affected employee a written
opinion regarding the results of that examination within 15 days of completion of
the evaluation of medical and laboratory findings, but not more than 30 days after
the examination. The written medical opinion shall be limited to the following
information:
(A) The physician or other licensed health care professional's opinion concerning
whether exposure to MC may contribute to or aggravate the employee's existing
cardiac, hepatic, neurological (including stroke) or dermal disease or whether the
employee has any other medical condition(s) that would place the employee's
health at increased risk of material impairment from exposure to MC.
(B) Any recommended limitations upon the employee's exposure to MC, including
removal from MC exposure, or upon the employee's use of respirators, protective
clothing, or other protective equipment.
(C) A statement that the employee has been informed by the physician or other

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licensed health care professional that MC is a potential occupational carcinogen, of
risk factors for heart disease, and the potential for exacerbation of underlying heart
disease by exposure to MC through its metabolism to carbon monoxide; and
(D) A statement that the employee has been informed by the physician or other
licensed health care professional of the results of the medical examination and any
medical conditions resulting from MC exposure which require further explanation
or treatment.
(ii) The employer shall instruct the physician or other licensed health care
professional not to reveal to the employer, orally or in the written opinion, any
specific records, findings, and diagnoses that have no bearing on occupational
exposure to MC.
[Note to paragraph (j)(9)(ii): The written medical opinion may also include information and opinions
generated to comply with other OSHA health standards.]

(10) Medical presumption. For purposes of this paragraph (j) of this section, the
physician or other licensed health care professional shall presume, unless medical
evidence indicates to the contrary, that a medical condition is unlikely to require
medical removal from MC exposure if the employee is not exposed to MC above
the 8-hour TWA PEL. If the physician or other licensed health care professional
recommends removal for an employee exposed below the 8-hour TWA PEL, the
physician or other licensed health care professional shall cite specific medical
evidence, sufficient to rebut the presumption that exposure below the 8-hour TWA
PEL is unlikely to require removal, to support the recommendation. If such
evidence is cited by the physician or other licensed health care professional, the
employer must remove the employee. If such evidence is not cited by the physician
or other licensed health care professional, the employer is not required to remove
the employee.
(11) Medical Removal Protection (MRP ). (i) Temporary medical removal and
return of an employee.
(A) Except as provided in paragraph (j)(10) of this section, when a medical
determination recommends removal because the employee's exposure to MC may
contribute to or aggravate the employee's existing cardiac, hepatic, neurological
(including stroke), or skin disease, the employer must provide medical removal
protection benefits to the employee and either:
( 1 ) Transfer the employee to comparable work where methylene chloride
exposure is below the action level; or
( 2 ) Remove the employee from MC exposure.
(B) If comparable work is not available and the employer is able to demonstrate
that removal and the costs of extending MRP benefits to an additional employee,
considering feasibility in relation to the size of the employer's business and the
other requirements of this standard, make further reliance on MRP an inappropriate
remedy, the employer may retain the additional employee in the existing job until
transfer or removal becomes appropriate, provided:
( 1 ) The employer ensures that the employee receives additional medical
surveillance, including a physical examination at least every 60 days until transfer
or removal occurs; and

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( 2 ) The employer or PLHCP informs the employee of the risk to the employee's
health from continued MC exposure.
(C) The employer shall maintain in effect any job-related protective measures or
limitations, other than removal, for as long as a medical determination recommends
them to be necessary.
(ii) End of MRP benefits and return of the employee to former job status.
(A) The employer may cease providing MRP benefits at the earliest of the
following:
( 1 ) Six months;
( 2 ) Return of the employee to the employee's former job status following receipt
of a medical determination concluding that the employee's exposure to MC no
longer will aggravate any cardiac, hepatic, neurological (including stroke), or
dermal disease;
( 3 ) Receipt of a medical determination concluding that the employee can never
return to MC exposure.
(B) For the purposes of this paragraph (j), the requirement that an employer return
an employee to the employee's former job status is not intended to expand upon or
restrict any rights an employee has or would have had, absent temporary medical
removal, to a specific job classification or position under the terms of a collective
bargaining agreement.
(12) Medical removal protection benefits. (i) For purposes of this paragraph (j), the
term medical removal protection benefits means that, for each removal, an
employer must maintain for up to six months the earnings, seniority, and other
employment rights and benefits of the employee as though the employee had not
been removed from MC exposure or transferred to a comparable job.
(ii) During the period of time that an employee is removed from exposure to MC,
the employer may condition the provision of medical removal protection benefits
upon the employee's participation in follow-up medical surveillance made available
pursuant to this section.
(iii) If a removed employee files a workers' compensation claim for a MC-related
disability, the employer shall continue the MRP benefits required by this paragraph
until either the claim is resolved or the 6-month period for payment f MRP benefits
has passed, whichever occurs first. To the extent the employee is entitled to
indemnity payments for earnings lost during the period of removal, the employer's
obligation to provide medical removal protection benefits to the employee shall be
reduced by the amount of such indemnity payments.
(iv) The employer's obligation to provide medical removal protection benefits to a
removed employee shall be reduced to the extent that the employee receives
compensation for earnings lost during the period of removal from either a publicly
or an employer-funded compensation program, or receives income from
employment with another employer made possible by virtue of the employee's
removal.

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(13) Voluntary removal or restriction of an employee. Where an employer,
although not required by this section to do so, removes an employee from exposure
to MC or otherwise places any limitation on an employee due to the effects of MC
exposure on the employee's medical condition, the employer shall provide medical
removal protection benefits to the employee equal to those required by paragraph
(j)(12) of this section.
(14) Multiple health care professional review mechanism. (i) If the employer
selects the initial physician or licensed health care professional (PLHCP) to
conduct any medical examination or consultation provided to an employee under
this paragraph (j)(11), the employer shall notify the employee of the right to seek a
second medical opinion each time the employer provides the employee with a copy
of the written opinion of that PLHCP.
(ii) If the employee does not agree with the opinion of the employer-selected
PLHCP, notifies the employer of that fact, and takes steps to make an appointment
with a second PLHCP within 15 days of receiving a copy of the written opinion of
the initial PLHCP, the employer shall pay for the PLHCP chosen by the employee
to perform at least the following:
(A) Review any findings, determinations or recommendations of the initial
PLHCP; and
(B) Conduct such examinations, consultations, and laboratory tests as the PLHCP
deems necessary to facilitate this review.
(iii) If the findings, determinations or recommendations of the second PLHCP
differ from those of the initial PLHCP, then the employer and the employee shall
instruct the two health care professionals to resolve the disagreement.
(iv) If the two health care professionals are unable to resolve their disagreement
within 15 days, then those two health care professionals shall jointly designate a
PLHCP who is a specialist in the field at issue. The employer shall pay for the
specialist to perform at least the following:
(A) Review the findings, determinations, and recommendations of the first two
PLHCPs; and
(B) Conduct such examinations, consultations, laboratory tests and discussions with
the prior PLHCPs as the specialist deems necessary to resolve the disagreements of
the prior health care professionals.
(v) The written opinion of the specialist shall be the definitive medical
determination. The employer shall act consistent with the definitive medical
determination, unless the employer and employee agree that the written opinion of
one of the other two PLHCPs shall be the definitive medical determination.
(vi) The employer and the employee or authorized employee representative may
agree upon the use of any expeditious alternate health care professional
determination mechanism in lieu of the multiple health care professional review
mechanism provided by this paragraph so long as the alternate mechanism
otherwise satisfies the requirements contained in this paragraph.
(k) Hazard communication. The employer shall communicate the following hazards
associated with MC on labels and in material safety data sheets in accordance with
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the requirements of the Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200, 29
CFR 1915.1200, or 29 CFR 1926.59, as appropiate: cancer, cardiac effects
(including elevation of carboxyhemoglobin), central nervous system effects, liver
effects, and skin and eye irritation.
(l) Employee information and training. (1) The employer shall provide information
and training for each affected employee prior to or at the time of initial assignment
to a job involving potential exposure to MC.
(2) The employer shall ensure that information and training is presented in a
manner that is understandable to the employees.
(3) In addition to the information required under the Hazard Communication
Standard at 29 CFR 1910.1200, 29 CFR 1915.1200, or 29 CFR 1926.59, as
appropiate:
(i) The employer shall inform each affected employee of the requirements of this
section and information available in its appendices, as well as how to access or
obtain a copy of it in the workplace;
(ii) Wherever an employee's exposure to airborne concentrations of MC exceeds or
can reasonably be expected to exceed the action level, the employer shall inform
each affected employee of the quantity, location, manner of use, release, and
storage of MC and the specific operations in the workplace that could result in
exposure to MC, particularly noting where exposures may be above the 8-hour
TWA PEL or STEL;
(4) The employer shall train each affected employee as required under the Hazard
Communication standard at 29 CFR 1910.1200, 29 CFR 1915.1200, or 29 CFR
1926.59, as appropiate.
(5) The employer shall re-train each affected employee as necessary to ensure that
each employee exposed above the action level or the STEL maintains the requisite
understanding of the principles of safe use and handling of MC in the workplace.
(6) Whenever there are workplace changes, such as modifications of tasks or
procedures or the institution of new tasks or procedures, which increase employee
exposure, and where those exposures exceed or can reasonably be expected to
exceed the action level, the employer shall update the training as necessary to
ensure that each affected employee has the requisite proficiency.
(7) An employer whose employees are exposed to MC at a multi-employer
worksite shall notify the other employers with work operations at that site in
accordance with the requirements of the Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR
1910.1200, 29 CFR 1915.1200, or 29 CFR 1926.59, as appropiate.
(8) The employer shall provide to the Assistant Secretary or the Director, upon
request, all available materials relating to employee information and training.
(m) Recordkeeping —(1) Objective data. (i) Where an employer seeks to
demonstrate that initial monitoring is unnecessary through reasonable reliance on
objective data showing that any materials in the workplace containing MC will not
release MC at levels which exceed the action level or the STEL under foreseeable
conditions of exposure, the employer shall establish and maintain an accurate
record of the objective data relied upon in support of the exemption.
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(ii) This record shall include at least the following information:
(A) The MC-containing material in question;
(B) The source of the objective data;
(C) The testing protocol, results of testing, and/or analysis of the material for the
release of MC;
(D) A description of the operation exempted under paragraph (d)(2)(i) of this
section and how the data support the exemption; and
(E) Other data relevant to the operations, materials, processing, or employee
exposures covered by the exemption.
(iii) The employer shall maintain this record for the duration of the employer's
reliance upon such objective data.
(2) Exposure measurements. (i) The employer shall establish and keep an accurate
record of all measurements taken to monitor employee exposure to MC as
prescribed in paragraph (d) of this section.
(ii) Where the employer has 20 or more employees, this record shall include at
least the following information:
(A) The date of measurement for each sample taken;
(B) The operation involving exposure to MC which is being monitored;
(C) Sampling and analytical methods used and evidence of their accuracy;
(D) Number, duration, and results of samples taken;
(E) Type of personal protective equipment, such as respiratory protective devices,
worn, if any; and
(F) Name, social security number, job classification and exposure of all of the
employees represented by monitoring, indicating which employees were actually
monitored.
(iii) Where the employer has fewer than 20 employees, the record shall include at
least the following information:
(A) The date of measurement for each sample taken;
(B) Number, duration, and results of samples taken; and
(C) Name, social security number, job classification and exposure of all of the
employees represented by monitoring, indicating which employees were actually
monitored.
(iv) The employer shall maintain this record for at least thirty (30) years, in
accordance with 29 CFR 1910.1020.
(3) Medical surveillance. (i) The employer shall establish and maintain an accurate

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record for each employee subject to medical surveillance under paragraph (j) of
this section.
(ii) The record shall include at least the following information:
(A) The name, social security number and description of the duties of the
employee;
(B) Written medical opinions; and
(C) Any employee medical conditions related to exposure to MC.
(iii) The employer shall ensure that this record is maintained for the duration of
employment plus thirty (30) years, in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.1020.
(4) Availability. (i) The employer, upon written request, shall make all records
required to be maintained by this section available to the Assistant Secretary and
the Director for examination and copying in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.1020.
[Note to paragraph (m)(4)(i): All records required to be maintained by this section may be kept in the
most administratively convenient form (for example, electronic or computer records would satisfy this
requirement).]

(ii) The employer, upon request, shall make any employee exposure and objective
data records required by this section available for examination and copying by
affected employees, former employees, and designated representatives in
accordance with 29 CFR 1910.1020.
(iii) The employer, upon request, shall make employee medical records required to
be kept by this section available for examination and copying by the subject
employee and by anyone having the specific written consent of the subject
employee in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.1020.
(5) Transfer of records. The employer shall comply with the requirements
concerning transfer of records set forth in 29 CFR 1910.1020(h).
(n) [Reserved]
(o) Appendices. The information contained in the appendices does not, by itself,
create any additional obligations not otherwise imposed or detract from any
existing obligation.
[Note to paragraph (o): The requirement of 29 CFR 1910.1052(g)(1) to use respiratory protection
whenever an employee's exposure to methylene chloride exceeds or can reasonably be expected to
exceed the 8-hour TWA PEL is hereby stayed until August 31, 1998 for employers engaged in
polyurethane foam manufacturing; foam fabrication; furniture refinishing; general aviation aircraft
stripping; formulation of products containing methylene chloride; boat building and repair; recreational
vehicle manufacture; van conversion; upholstery; and use of methylene chloride in construction work
for restoration and preservation of buildings, painting and paint removal, cabinet making and/or floor
refinishing and resurfacing.
The requirement of 29 CFR 1910.1052(f)(1) to implement engineering controls to achieve the 8-hour
TWA PEL and STEL is hereby stayed until December 10, 1998 for employers with more than 100
employees engaged in polyurethane foam manufacturing and for employers with more than 20
employees engaged in foam fabrication; furniture refinishing; general aviation aircraft stripping;
formulation of products containing methylene chloride; boat building and repair; recreational vehicle
manufacture; van conversion; upholstery; and use of methylene chloride in construction work for

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restoration and preservation of buildings, painting and paint removal, cabinet making and/or floor
refinishing and resurfacing.]
Appendix A to Section 1910.1052—Substance Safety Data Sheet and Technical Guidelines for
Methylene Chloride
I. Substance Identification
A. Substance: Methylene chloride (CH 2 Cl 2 ).
B. Synonyms: MC, Dichloromethane (DCM); Methylene dichloride; Methylene bichloride; Methane
dichloride; CAS: 75–09–2; NCI-C50102.
C. Physical data:
1. Molecular weight: 84.9.
2. Boiling point (760 mm Hg): 39.8 °C (104 °F).
3. Specific gravity (water=1): 1.3.
4. Vapor density (air=1 at boiling point): 2.9.
5. Vapor pressure at 20 °C (68 °F): 350 mm Hg.
6. Solubility in water, g/100 g water at 20 °C (68 °F)=1.32.
7. Appearance and odor: colorless liquid with a chloroform-like odor.
D. Uses:
MC is used as a solvent, especially where high volatility is required. It is a good solvent for oils, fats,
waxes, resins, bitumen, rubber and cellulose acetate and is a useful paint stripper and degreaser. It is
used in paint removers, in propellant mixtures for aerosol containers, as a solvent for plastics, as a
degreasing agent, as an extracting agent in the pharmaceutical industry and as a blowing agent in
polyurethane foams. Its solvent property is sometimes increased by mixing with methanol, petroleum
naphtha or tetrachloroethylene.
E. Appearance and odor:
MC is a clear colorless liquid with a chloroform-like odor. It is slightly soluble in water and
completely miscible with most organic solvents.
F. Permissible exposure:
Exposure may not exceed 25 parts MC per million parts of air (25 ppm) as an eight-hour timeweighted average (8-hour TWA PEL) or 125 parts of MC per million parts of air (125 ppm) averaged
over a 15-minute period (STEL).
II. Health Hazard Data
A. MC can affect the body if it is inhaled or if the liquid comes in contact with the eyes or skin. It can
also affect the body if it is swallowed.
B. Effects of overexposure:
1. Short-term Exposure:
MC is an anesthetic. Inhaling the vapor may cause mental confusion, light-headedness, nausea,
vomiting, and headache. Continued exposure may cause increased light-headedness, staggering,
unconsciousness, and even death. High vapor concentrations may also cause irritation of the eyes and
respiratory tract. Exposure to MC may make the symptoms of angina (chest pains) worse. Skin
exposure to liquid MC may cause irritation. If liquid MC remains on the skin, it may cause skin burns.
Splashes of the liquid into the eyes may cause irritation.

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2. Long-term (chronic) exposure:
The best evidence that MC causes cancer is from laboratory studies in which rats, mice and hamsters
inhaled MC 6 hours per day, 5 days per week for 2 years. MC exposure produced lung and liver
tumors in mice and mammary tumors in rats. No carcinogenic effects of MC were found in hamsters.
There are also some human epidemiological studies which show an association between occupational
exposure to MC and increases in biliary (bile duct) cancer and a type of brain cancer. Other
epidemiological studies have not observed a relationship between MC exposure and cancer. OSHA
interprets these results to mean that there is suggestive (but not absolute) evidence that MC is a human
carcinogen.
C. Reporting signs and symptoms:
You should inform your employer if you develop any signs or symptoms and suspect that they are
caused by exposure to MC.
D. Warning Properties:
1. Odor Threshold:
Different authors have reported varying odor thresholds for MC. Kirk-Othmer and Sax both reported
25 to 50 ppm; Summer and May both reported 150 ppm; Spector reports 320 ppm. Patty, however,
states that since one can become adapted to the odor, MC should not be considered to have adequate
warning properties.
2. Eye Irritation Level:
Kirk-Othmer reports that “MC vapor is seriously damaging to the eyes.” Sax agrees with KirkOthmer's statement. The ACGIH Documentation of TLVs states that irritation of the eyes has been
observed in workers exposed to concentrations up to 5000 ppm.
3. Evaluation of Warning Properties:
Since a wide range of MC odor thresholds are reported (25–320 ppm), and human adaptation to the
odor occurs, MC is considered to be a material with poor warning properties.
III. Emergency First Aid Procedures
In the event of emergency, institute first aid procedures and send for first aid or medical assistance.
A. Eye and Skin Exposures:
If there is a potential for liquid MC to come in contact with eye or skin, face shields and skin
protective equipment must be provided and used. If liquid MC comes in contact with the eye, get
medical attention. Contact lenses should not be worn when working with this chemical.
B. Breathing:
If a person breathes in large amounts of MC, move the exposed person to fresh air at once. If breathing
has stopped, perform cardiopulmorary resuscitation. Keep the affected person warm and at rest. Get
medical attention as soon as possible.
C. Rescue:
Move the affected person from the hazardous exposure immediately. If the exposed person has been
overcome, notify someone else and put into effect the established emergency rescue procedures.
Understand the facility's emergency rescue procedures and know the locations of rescue equipment
before the need arises. Do not become a casualty yourself.
IV. Respirators, Protective Clothing, and Eye Protection
A. Respirators:
Good industrial hygiene practices recommend that engineering controls be used to reduce

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environmental concentrations to the permissible exposure level. However, there are some exceptions
where respirators may be used to control exposure. Respirators may be used when engineering and
work practice controls are not feasible, when such controls are in the process of being installed, or
when these controls fail and need to be supplemented. Respirators may also be used for operations
which require entry into tanks or closed vessels, and in emergency situations.
If the use of respirators is necessary, the only respirators permitted are those that have been approved
by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) or the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH). Supplied-air respirators are required because air-purifying respirators do
not provide adequate respiratory protection against MC.
In addition to respirator selection, a complete written respiratory protection program should be
instituted which includes regular training, maintenance, inspection, cleaning, and evaluation. If you can
smell MC while wearing a respirator, proceed immediately to fresh air. If you experience difficulty in
breathing while wearing a respirator, tell your employer.
B. Protective Clothing:
Employees must be provided with and required to use impervious clothing, gloves, face shields (eightinch minimum), and other appropriate protective clothing necessary to prevent repeated or prolonged
skin contact with liquid MC or contact with vessels containing liquid MC. Any clothing which
becomes wet with liquid MC should be removed immediately and not reworn until the employer has
ensured that the protective clothing is fit for reuse. Contaminated protective clothing should be placed
in a regulated area designated by the employer for removal of MC before the clothing is laundered or
disposed of. Clothing and equipment should remain in the regulated area until all of the MC
contamination has evaporated; clothing and equipment should then be laundered or disposed of as
appropriate.
C. Eye Protection:
Employees should be provided with and required to use splash-proof safety goggles where liquid MC
may contact the eyes.
V. Housekeeping and Hygiene Facilities
For purposes of complying with 29 CFR 1910.141, the following items should be emphasized:
A. The workplace should be kept clean, orderly, and in a sanitary condition. The employer should
institute a leak and spill detection program for operations involving liquid MC in order to detect
sources of fugitive MC emissions.
B. Emergency drench showers and eyewash facilities are recommended. These should be maintained in
a sanitary condition. Suitable cleansing agents should also be provided to assure the effective removal
of MC from the skin.
C. Because of the hazardous nature of MC, contaminated protective clothing should be placed in a
regulated area designated by the employer for removal of MC before the clothing is laundered or
disposed of.
VI. Precautions for Safe Use, Handling, and Storage
A. Fire and Explosion Hazards:
MC has no flash point in a conventional closed tester, but it forms flammable vapor-air mixtures at
approximately 100 °C (212 °F), or higher. It has a lower explosion limit of 12%, and an upper
explosion limit of 19% in air. It has an autoignition temperature of 556.1 °C (1033 °F), and a boiling
point of 39.8 °C (104 °F). It is heavier than water with a specific gravity of 1.3. It is slightly soluble in
water.
B. Reactivity Hazards:
Conditions contributing to the instability of MC are heat and moisture. Contact with strong oxidizers,
caustics, and chemically active metals such as aluminum or magnesium powder, sodium and potassium

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may cause fires and explosions.
Special precautions: Liquid MC will attack some forms of plastics, rubber, and coatings.
C. Toxicity:
Liquid MC is painful and irritating if splashed in the eyes or if confined on the skin by gloves, clothing,
or shoes. Vapors in high concentrations may cause narcosis and death. Prolonged exposure to vapors
may cause cancer or exacerbate cardiac disease.
D. Storage:
Protect against physical damage. Because of its corrosive properties, and its high vapor pressure, MC
should be stored in plain, galvanized or lead lined, mild steel containers in a cool, dry, well ventilated
area away from direct sunlight, heat source and acute fire hazards.
E. Piping Material:
All piping and valves at the loading or unloading station should be of material that is resistant to MC
and should be carefully inspected prior to connection to the transport vehicle and periodically during
the operation.
F. Usual Shipping Containers:
Glass bottles, 5- and 55-gallon steel drums, tank cars, and tank trucks.
Note: This section addresses MC exposure in marine terminal and longshore employment only where
leaking or broken packages allow MC exposure that is not addressed through compliance with 29 CFR
parts 1917 and 1918, respectively.
G. Electrical Equipment:
Electrical installations in Class I hazardous locations as defined in Article 500 of the National Electrical
Code, should be installed according to Article 501 of the code; and electrical equipment should be
suitable for use in atmospheres containing MC vapors. See Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code
(NFPA No. 325M), Chemical Safety Data Sheet SD–86 (Manufacturing Chemists' Association, Inc.).
H. Fire Fighting:
When involved in fire, MC emits highly toxic and irritating fumes such as phosgene, hydrogen
chloride and carbon monoxide. Wear breathing apparatus and use water spray to keep fire-exposed
containers cool. Water spray may be used to flush spills away from exposures. Extinguishing media are
dry chemical, carbon dioxide, foam. For purposes of compliance with 29 CFR 1910.307, locations
classified as hazardous due to the presence of MC shall be Class I.
I. Spills and Leaks:
Persons not wearing protective equipment and clothing should be restricted from areas of spills or leaks
until cleanup has been completed. If MC has spilled or leaked, the following steps should be taken:
1. Remove all ignition sources.
2. Ventilate area of spill or leak.
3. Collect for reclamation or absorb in vermiculite, dry sand, earth, or a similar material.
J. Methods of Waste Disposal:
Small spills should be absorbed onto sand and taken to a safe area for atmospheric evaporation.
Incineration is the preferred method for disposal of large quantities by mixing with a combustible
solvent and spraying into an incinerator equipped with acid scrubbers to remove hydrogen chloride
gases formed. Complete combustion will convert carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide. Care should be
taken for the presence of phosgene.
K. You should not keep food, beverage, or smoking materials, or eat or smoke in regulated areas where

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MC concentrations are above the permissible exposure limits.
L. Portable heating units should not be used in confined areas where MC is used.
M. Ask your supervisor where MC is used in your work area and for any additional plant safety and
health rules.
VII. Medical Requirements
Your employer is required to offer you the opportunity to participate in a medical surveillance program
if you are exposed to MC at concentrations at or above the action level (12.5 ppm 8-hour TWA) for
more than 30 days a year or at concentrations exceeding the PELs (25 ppm 8-hour TWA or 125 ppm
15-minute STEL) for more than 10 days a year. If you are exposed to MC at concentrations over either
of the PELs, your employer will also be required to have a physician or other licensed health care
professional ensure that you are able to wear the respirator that you are assigned. Your employer must
provide all medical examinations relating to your MC exposure at a reasonable time and place and at
no cost to you.
VIII. Monitoring and Measurement Procedures
A. Exposure above the Permissible Exposure Limit:
1. Eight-hour exposure evaluation: Measurements taken for the purpose of determining employee
exposure under this section are best taken with consecutive samples covering the full shift. Air samples
must be taken in the employee's breathing zone.
2. Monitoring techniques: The sampling and analysis under this section may be performed by
collection of the MC vapor on two charcoal adsorption tubes in series or other composition adsorption
tubes, with subsequent chemical analysis. Sampling and analysis may also be performed by instruments
such as real-time continuous monitoring systems, portable direct reading instruments, or passive
dosimeters as long as measurements taken using these methods accurately evaluate the concentration of
MC in employees” breathing zones.
OSHA method 80 is an example of a validated method of sampling and analysis of MC. Copies of this
method are available from OSHA or can be downloaded from the Internet at http://www.osha.gov. The
employer has the obligation of selecting a monitoring method which meets the accuracy and precision
requirements of the standard under his or her unique field conditions. The standard requires that the
method of monitoring must be accurate, to a 95 percent confidence level, to plus or minus 25 percent
for concentrations of MC at or above 25 ppm, and to plus or minus 35 percent for concentrations at or
below 25 ppm. In addition to OSHA method 80, there are numerous other methods available for
monitoring for MC in the workplace.
B. Since many of the duties relating to employee exposure are dependent on the results of measurement
procedures, employers must assure that the evaluation of employee exposure is performed by a
technically qualified person.
IX. Observation of Monitoring
Your employer is required to perform measurements that are representative of your exposure to MC
and you or your designated representative are entitled to observe the monitoring procedure. You are
entitled to observe the steps taken in the measurement procedure, and to record the results obtained.
When the monitoring procedure is taking place in an area where respirators or personal protective
clothing and equipment are required to be worn, you or your representative must also be provided with,
and must wear, protective clothing and equipment.
X. Access to Information
A. Your employer is required to inform you of the information contained in this Appendix. In addition,
your employer must instruct you in the proper work practices for using MC, emergency procedures,
and the correct use of protective equipment.
B. Your employer is required to determine whether you are being exposed to MC. You or your
representative has the right to observe employee measurements and to record the results obtained. Your

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employer is required to inform you of your exposure. If your employer determines that you are being
over exposed, he or she is required to inform you of the actions which are being taken to reduce your
exposure to within permissible exposure limits.
C. Your employer is required to keep records of your exposures and medical examinations. These
records must be kept by the employer for at least thirty (30) years.
D. Your employer is required to release your exposure and medical records to you or your
representative upon your request.
E. Your employee is required to provide labels and material safety data sheets (MSDS) for all
materials, mixtures or solutions composed of greater than 0.1 percent MC. An example of a label that
would satisfy these requirements would be:
Danger Contains Methylene Chloride Potential Cancer Hazard
May worsen heart disease because methylene chloride is converted to carbon monoxide in the body.
May cause dizziness, headache, irritation of the throat and lungs, loss of consciousness and death at
high concentrations (for example, if used in a poorly ventilated room).
Avoid Skin Contact. Contact with liquid causes skin and eye irritation.
XI. Common Operations and Controls
The following list includes some common operations in which exposure to MC may occur and control
methods which may be effective in each case:

Operations
Use as solvent in paint and varnish removers;
manufacture of aerosols; cold cleaning and
ultrasonic cleaning; and as a solvent in furniture
stripping
Use as solvent in vapor degreasing

Controls
General dilution ventilation;
local exhaust ventilation;
personal protective equipment;
substitution.
Process enclosure; local exhaust
ventilation; chilling coils;
substitution.
Use as a secondary refrigerant in air conditioning General dilution ventilation;
and scientific testing
local exhaust ventilation;
personal protective equipment.
Appendix B to Section 1910.1052—Medical Surveillance for Methylene Chloride
I. Primary Route of Entry
Inhalation.
II. Toxicology
Methylene Chloride (MC) is primarily an inhalation hazard. The principal acute hazardous effects are
the depressant action on the central nervous system, possible cardiac toxicity and possible liver toxicity.
The range of CNS effects are from decreased eye/hand coordination and decreased performance in
vigilance tasks to narcosis and even death of individuals exposed at very high doses. Cardiac toxicity is
due to the metabolism of MC to carbon monoxide, and the effects of carbon monoxide on heart tissue.
Carbon monoxide displaces oxygen in the blood, decreases the oxygen available to heart tissue,
increasing the risk of damage to the heart, which may result in heart attacks in susceptible individuals.
Susceptible individuals include persons with heart disease and those with risk factors for heart disease.
Elevated liver enzymes and irritation to the respiratory passages and eyes have also been reported for
both humans and experimental animals exposed to MC vapors.
MC is metabolized to carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide via two separate pathways. Through the

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first pathway, MC is metabolized to carbon monoxide as an end-product via the P–450 mixed function
oxidase pathway located in the microsomal fraction of the cell. This biotransformation of MC to
carbon monoxide occurs through the process of microsomal oxidative dechlorination which takes place
primarily in the liver. The amount of conversion to carbon monoxide is significant as measured by the
concentration of carboxyhemoglobin, up to 12% measured in the blood following occupational
exposure of up to 610 ppm. Through the second pathway, MC is metabolized to carbon dioxide as an
end product (with formaldehyde and formic acid as metabolic intermediates) via the glutathione
dependent enzyme found in the cytosolic fraction of the liver cell. Metabolites along this pathway are
believed to be associated with the carcinogenic activity of MC.
MC has been tested for carcinogenicity in several laboratory rodents. These rodent studies indicate that
there is clear evidence that MC is carcinogenic to male and female mice and female rats. Based on
epidemiologic studies, OSHA has concluded that there is suggestive evidence of increased cancer risk
in MC-related worker populations. The epidemiological evidence is consistent with the finding of
excess cancer in the experimental animal studies. NIOSH regards MC as a potential occupational
carcinogen and the International Agency for Research Cancer (IARC) classifies MC as an animal
carcinogen. OSHA considers MC as a suspected human carcinogen.
III. Medical Signs and Symptoms of Acute Exposure
Skin exposure to liquid MC may cause irritation or skin burns. Liquid MC can also be irritating to the
eyes. MC is also absorbed through the skin and may contribute to the MC exposure by inhalation.
At high concentrations in air, MC may cause nausea, vomiting, light-headedness, numbness of the
extremities, changes in blood enzyme levels, and breathing problems, leading to bronchitis and
pulmonary edema, unconsciousness and even death.
At lower concentrations in air, MC may cause irritation to the skin, eye, and respiratory tract and
occasionally headache and nausea. Perhaps the greatest problem from exposure to low concentrations
of MC is the CNS effects on coordination and alertness that may cause unsafe operations of machinery
and equipment, leading to self-injury or accidents.
Low levels and short duration exposures do not seem to produce permanent disability, but chronic
exposures to MC have been demonstrated to produce liver toxicity in animals, and therefore, the
evidence is suggestive for liver toxicity in humans after chronic exposure.
Chronic exposure to MC may also cause cancer.
IV. Surveillance and Preventive Considerations
As discussed above, MC is classified as a suspect or potential human carcinogen. It is a central nervous
system (CNS) depressant and a skin, eye and respiratory tract irritant. At extremely high
concentrations, MC has caused liver damage in animals.
MC principally affects the CNS, where it acts as a narcotic. The observation of the symptoms
characteristic of CNS depression, along with a physical examination, provides the best detection of
early neurological disorders. Since exposure to MC also increases the carboxyhemoglobin level in the
blood, ambient carbon monoxide levels would have an additive effect on that carboxyhemoglobin level.
Based on such information, a periodic post-shift carboxyhemoglobin test as an index of the presence of
carbon monoxide in the blood is recommended, but not required, for medical surveillance.
Based on the animal evidence and three epidemiologic studies previously mentioned, OSHA concludes
that MC is a suspect human carcinogen. The medical surveillance program is designed to observe
exposed workers on a regular basis. While the medical surveillance program cannot detect MC-induced
cancer at a preneoplastic stage, OSHA anticipates that, as in the past, early detection and treatments of
cancers leading to enhanced survival rates will continue to evolve.
A. Medical and Occupational History:
The medical and occupational work history plays an important role in the initial evaluation of workers
exposed to MC. It is therefore extremely important for the examining physician or other licensed health
care professional to evaluate the MC-exposed worker carefully and completely and to focus the
examination on MC's potentially associated health hazards. The medical evaluation must include an

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annual detailed work and medical history with special emphasis on cardiac history and neurological
symptoms.
An important goal of the medical history is to elicit information from the worker regarding potential
signs or symptoms associated with increased levels of carboxyhemoglobin due to the presence of
carbon monoxide in the blood. Physicians or other licensed health care professionals should ensure that
the smoking history of all MC exposed employees is known. Exposure to MC may cause a significant
increase in carboxyhemoglobin level in all exposed persons. However, smokers as well as workers with
anemia or heart disease and those concurrently exposed to carbon monoxide are at especially high risk
of toxic effects because of an already reduced oxygen carrying capacity of the blood.
A comprehensive or interim medical and work history should also include occurrence of headache,
dizziness, fatigue, chest pain, shortness of breath, pain in the limbs, and irritation of the skin and eyes.
In addition, it is important for the physician or other licensed health care professional to become
familiar with the operating conditions in which exposure to MC is likely to occur. The physician or
other licensed health care professional also must become familiar with the signs and symptoms that
may indicate that a worker is receiving otherwise unrecognized and exceptionally high exposure levels
of MC.
An example of a medical and work history that would satisfy the requirement for a comprehensive or
interim work history is represented by the following:
The following is a list of recommended questions and issues for the self-administered questionnaire for
methylene chloride exposure.
Questionnaire For Methylene Chloride Exposure
I. Demographic Information
1. Name
2. Social Security Number
3. Date
4. Date of Birth
5. Age
6. Present occupation
7. Sex
8. Race
II. Occupational History
1. Have you ever worked with methylene chloride, dichloromethane, methylene dichloride, or
CH 2 Cl 2 (all are different names for the same chemical)? Please list which on the occupational history
form if you have not already.
2. If you have worked in any of the following industries and have not listed them on the occupational
history form, please do so.
Furniture stripping
Polyurethane foam manufacturing
Chemical manufacturing or formulation
Pharmaceutical manufacturing
Any industry in which you used solvents to clean and degrease equipment or parts

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Construction, especially painting and refinishing
Aerosol manufacturing
Any industry in which you used aerosol adhesives
3. If you have not listed hobbies or household projects on the occupational history form, especially
furniture refinishing, spray painting, or paint stripping, please do so.
III. Medical History
A. General
1. Do you consider yourself to be in good health? If no, state reason(s).
2. Do you or have you ever had:
a. Persistent thirst
b. Frequent urination (three times or more at night)
c. Dermatitis or irritated skin
d. Non-healing wounds
3. What prescription or non-prescription medications do you take, and for what reasons?
4. Are you allergic to any medications, and what type of reaction do you have?
B. Respiratory
1. Do you have or have you ever had any chest illnesses or diseases? Explain.
2. Do you have or have you ever had any of the following:
a. Asthma
b. Wheezing
c. Shortness of breath
3. Have you ever had an abnormal chest X-ray? If so, when, where, and what were the findings?
4. Have you ever had difficulty using a respirator or breathing apparatus? Explain.
5. Do any chest or lung diseases run in your family? Explain.
6. Have you ever smoked cigarettes, cigars, or a pipe? Age started:
7. Do you now smoke?
8. If you have stopped smoking completely, how old were you when you stopped?
9. On the average of the entire time you smoked, how many packs of cigarettes, cigars, or bowls of
tobacco did you smoke per day?
C. Cardiovascular
1. Have you ever been diagnosed with any of the following: Which of the following apply to you now
or did apply to you at some time in the past, even if the problem is controlled by medication? Please
explain any yes answers (i.e., when problem was diagnosed, length of time on medication).
a. High cholesterol or triglyceride level
b. Hypertension (high blood pressure)

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c. Diabetes
d. Family history of heart attack, stroke, or blocked arteries
2. Have you ever had chest pain? If so, answer the next five questions.
a. What was the quality of the pain (i.e., crushing, stabbing, squeezing)?
b. Did the pain go anywhere (i.e., into jaw, left arm)?
c. What brought the pain out?
d. How long did it last?
e. What made the pain go away?
3. Have you ever had heart disease, a heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, or blocked arteries anywhere in
you body? Explain (when, treatment).
4. Have you ever had bypass surgery for blocked arteries in your heart or anywhere else? Explain.
5. Have you ever had any other procedures done to open up a blocked artery (balloon angioplasty,
carotid endarterectomy, clot-dissolving drug)?
6. Do you have or have you ever had (explain each):
a. Heart murmur
b. Irregular heartbeat
c. Shortness of breath while lying flat
d. Congestive heart failure
e. Ankle swelling
f. Recurrent pain anywhere below the waist while walking
7. Have you ever had an electrocardiogram (EKG)? When?
8. Have you ever had an abnormal EKG? If so, when, where, and what were the findings?
9. Do any heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, or high triglycerides run in
your family? Explain.
D. Hepatobiliary and Pancreas
1. Do you now or have you ever drunk alcoholic beverages? Age started: ____ Age stopped: ____.
2. Average numbers per week:
a. Beers: ____, ounces in usual container:
b. Glasses of wine: ____, ounces per glass:
c. Drinks: ____, ounces in usual container:
3. Do you have or have you ever had (explain each):
a. Hepatitis (infectious, autoimmune, drug-induced, or chemical)
b. Jaundice
c. Elevated liver enzymes or elevated bilirubin
d. Liver disease or cancer

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E. Central Nervous System
1. Do you or have you ever had (explain each):
a. Headache
b. Dizziness
c. Fainting
d. Loss of consciousness
e. Garbled speech
f. Lack of balance
g. Mental/psychiatric illness
h. Forgetfulness
F. Hematologic
1. Do you have, or have you ever had (explain each):
a. Anemia
b. Sickle cell disease or trait
c. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency
d. Bleeding tendency disorder
2. If not already mentioned previously, have you ever had a reaction to sulfa drugs or to drugs used to
prevent or treat malaria? What was the drug? Describe the reaction.
B. Physical Examination
The complete physical examination, when coupled with the medical and occupational history, assists
the physician or other licensed health care professional in detecting pre-existing conditions that might
place the employee at increased risk, and establishes a baseline for future health monitoring. These
examinations should include:
1. Clinical impressions of the nervous system, cardiovascular function and pulmonary function, with
additional tests conducted where indicated or determined by the examining physician or other licensed
health care professional to be necessary.
2. An evaluation of the advisability of the worker using a respirator, because the use of certain
respirators places an additional burden on the cardiopulmonary system. It is necessary for the attending
physician or other licensed health care professional to evaluate the cardiopulmonary function of these
workers, in order to inform the employer in a written medical opinion of the worker's ability or fitness
to work in an area requiring the use of certain types of respiratory protective equipment. The presence
of facial hair or scars that might interfere with the worker's ability to wear certain types of respirators
should also be noted during the examination and in the written medical opinion.
Because of the importance of lung function to workers required to wear certain types of respirators to
protect themselves from MC exposure, these workers must receive an assessment of pulmonary
function before they begin to wear a negative pressure respirator and at least annually thereafter. The
recommended pulmonary function tests include measurement of the employee's forced vital capacity
(FVC), forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV1), as well as calculation of the ratios of FEV1 to
FVC, and the ratios of measured FVC and measured FEV1 to expected respective values corrected for
variation due to age, sex, race, and height. Pulmonary function evaluation must be conducted by a
physician or other licensed health care professional experienced in pulmonary function tests.
The following is a summary of the elements of a physical exam which would fulfill the requirements

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under the MC standard:
Physical Exam
I. Skin and appendages
1. Irritated or broken skin
2. Jaundice
3. Clubbing cyanosis, edema
4. Capillary refill time
5. Pallor
II. Head
1. Facial deformities
2. Scars
3. Hair growth
III. Eyes
1. Scleral icterus
2. Corneal arcus
3. Pupillary size and response
4. Fundoscopic exam
IV. Chest
1. Standard exam
V. Heart
1. Standard exam
2. Jugular vein distension
3. Peripheral pulses
VI. Abdomen
1. Liver span
VII. Nervous System
1. Complete standard neurologic exam
VIII. Laboratory
1. Hemoglobin and hematocrit
2. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT, SGPT)
3. Post-shift carboxyhemoglobin
IX. Studies
1. Pulmonary function testing
2. Electrocardiogram

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An evaluation of the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood of employees (for example by measured red
blood cell volume) is considered useful, especially for workers acutely exposed to MC.
It is also recommended, but not required, that end of shift carboxyhemoglobin levels be determined
periodically, and any level above 3% for non-smokers and above 10% for smokers should prompt an
investigation of the worker and his workplace. This test is recommended because MC is metabolized to
CO, which combines strongly with hemoglobin, resulting in a reduced capacity of the blood to
transport oxygen in the body. This is of particular concern for cigarette smokers because they already
have a diminished hemoglobin capacity due to the presence of CO in cigarette smoke.
C. Additional Examinations and Referrals
1. Examination by a Specialist
When a worker examination reveals unexplained symptoms or signs (i.e. in the physical examination or
in the laboratory tests), follow-up medical examinations are necessary to assure that MC exposure is
not adversely affecting the worker's health. When the examining physician or other licensed health care
professional finds it necessary, additional tests should be included to determine the nature of the
medical problem and the underlying cause. Where relevant, the worker should be sent to a specialist
for further testing and treatment as deemed necessary.
The final rule requires additional investigations to be covered and it also permits physicians or other
licensed health care professionals to add appropriate or necessary tests to improve the diagnosis of
disease should such tests become available in the future.
2. Emergencies
The examination of workers exposed to MC in an emergency should be directed at the organ systems
most likely to be affected. If the worker has received a severe acute exposure, hospitalization may be
required to assure proper medical intervention. It is not possible to precisely define “severe,” but the
physician or other licensed health care professional's judgement should not merely rest on
hospitalization. If the worker has suffered significant conjunctival, oral, or nasal irritation, respiratory
distress, or discomfort, the physician or other licensed health care professional should instigate
appropriate follow-up procedures. These include attention to the eyes, lungs and the neurological
system. The frequency of follow-up examinations should be determined by the attending physician or
other licensed health care professional. This testing permits the early identification essential to proper
medical management of such workers.
D. Employer Obligations
The employer is required to provide the responsible physician or other licensed health care professional
and any specialists involved in a diagnosis with the following information: a copy of the MC standard
including relevant appendices, a description of the affected employee's duties as they relate to his or her
exposure to MC; an estimate of the employee's exposure including duration (e.g., 15hr/wk, three 8-hour
shifts/wk, full time); a description of any personal protective equipment used by the employee,
including respirators; and the results of any previous medical determinations for the affected employee
related to MC exposure to the extent that this information is within the employer's control.
E. Physicians' or Other Licensed Health Care Professionals' Obligations
The standard requires the employer to ensure that the physician or other licensed health care
professional provides a written statement to the employee and the employer. This statement should
contain the physician's or licensed health care professional's opinion as to whether the employee has
any medical condition placing him or her at increased risk of impaired health from exposure to MC or
use of respirators, as appropriate. The physician or other licensed health care professional should also
state his or her opinion regarding any restrictions that should be placed on the employee's exposure to
MC or upon the use of protective clothing or equipment such as respirators. If the employee wears a
respirator as a result of his or her exposure to MC, the physician or other licensed health care
professional's opinion should also contain a statement regarding the suitability of the employee to wear
the type of respirator assigned. Furthermore, the employee should be informed by the physician or other
licensed health care professional about the cancer risk of MC and about risk factors for heart disease,
and the potential for exacerbation of underlying heart disease by exposure to MC through its

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metabolism to carbon monoxide. Finally, the physician or other licensed health care professional
should inform the employer that the employee has been told the results of the medical examination and
of any medical conditions which require further explanation or treatment. This written opinion must not
contain any information on specific findings or diagnosis unrelated to employee's occupational
exposures.
The purpose in requiring the examining physician or other licensed health care professional to supply
the employer with a written opinion is to provide the employer with a medical basis to assist the
employer in placing employees initially, in assuring that their health is not being impaired by exposure
to MC, and to assess the employee's ability to use any required protective equipment.

Appendix C to Section 1910.1052—Questions and Answers—Methylene Chloride

Control in Furniture Stripping
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View or download PDF
[62 FR 1601, Jan. 10, 1997, as amended at 62 FR 42667, Aug. 8, 1997; 62 FR
54383, Oct. 20, 1997; 62 FR 66277, Dec. 18, 1997; 63 FR 1295, Jan. 8, 1998; 63
FR 20099, Apr. 23, 1998; 63 FR 50729, Sept. 22, 1998; 71 FR 16674, Apr. 3, 2006;
71 FR 50190, Aug. 24, 2006; 73 FR 75587, Dec. 12, 2008]
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