10 C.F.R. Part ..., Subpart A — General Provisions | Code of Federal Regulations — United States

10 C.F.R. § 850.1 Scope.

This part provides for establishment of a chronic beryllium disease prevention program (CBDPP) that supplements and is deemed an integral part of the worker safety and health program under part 851 of this chapter.

10 C.F.R. § 850.2 Applicability.

(a) This part applies to: (1) DOE offices responsible for operations or activities that involve present or past exposure, or the potential for exposure, to beryllium at DOE facilities; (2) DOE contractors with operations or activities that involve present or past exposure, or the potential for exposure, to beryllium at DOE facilities; and (3) Any current DOE employee, DOE contractor employee, or other worker at a DOE facility who is or was exposed or potentially exposed to beryllium at a DOE facility. (b) This part does not apply to: (1) Beryllium articles; and (2) DOE laboratory operations that meet the definition of laboratory use of hazardous chemicals in 29 CFR 1910.1450, Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemical in Laboratories.

10 C.F.R. § 850.3 Definitions.

(a) As used in this part: Action level means the level of airborne concentration of beryllium established pursuant to section 850.23 of this part that, if met or exceeded, requires the implementation of worker protection provisions specified in that section. Authorized person means any person required by work duties to be in a regulated area. Beryllium means elemental beryllium and any insoluble beryllium compound or alloy containing 0.1 percent beryllium or greater that may be released as an airborne particulate. Beryllium activity means an activity taken for, or by, DOE at a DOE facility that can expose workers to airborne beryllium, including but not limited to design, construction, operation, maintenance, or decommissioning, and which may involve one DOE facility or operation or a combination of facilities and operations. Beryllium article means a manufactured item that is formed to a specific shape or design during manufacture, that has end-use functions that depend in whole or in part on its shape or design during end use, and that does not release beryllium or otherwise result in exposure to airborne concentrations of beryllium under normal conditions of use. Beryllium-associated worker means a current worker who is or was exposed or potentially exposed to airborne concentrations of beryllium at a DOE facility, including: (1) A beryllium worker; (2) A current worker whose work history shows that the worker may have been exposed to airborne concentrations of beryllium at a DOE facility; (3) A current worker who exhibits signs or symptoms of beryllium exposure; and (4) A current worker who is receiving medical removal protection benefits. Beryllium emergency means any occurrence such as, but not limited to, equipment failure, container rupture, or failure of control equipment or operations that results in an unexpected and significant release of beryllium at a DOE facility. Beryllium-induced lymphocyte proliferation test (Be-LPT) is an in vitro measure of the beryllium antigen-specific, cell-mediated immune response. Beryllium worker means a current worker who is regularly employed in a DOE beryllium activity. Breathing zone is defined as a hemisphere forward of the shoulders, centered on the mouth and nose, with a radius of 6 to 9 inches. DOE means the U.S. Department of Energy. DOE contractor means any entity under contract with DOE (or its subcontractor) that has responsibility for performing beryllium activities at DOE facilities. DOE facility means any facility operated by or for DOE. Head of DOE Field Element means an individual who is the manager or head of the DOE operations office or field office, or any official to whom the Head of DOE Field Element delegates his or her functions under this part. High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter means a filter capable of trapping and retaining at least 99.97 percent of 0.3 micrometer monodispersed particles. Immune response refers to the series of cellular events by which the immune system reacts to challenge by an antigen. Medical removal protection benefits means the employment rights established by section 850.35 of this part for beryllium-associated workers who voluntarily accept temporary or permanent medical removal from beryllium areas following a recommendation by the Site Occupational Medicine Director. Operational area means an area where workers are routinely in the presence of beryllium as part of their work activity. Regulated area means an area demarcated by the responsible employer in which the airborne concentration of beryllium exceeds, or can reasonably be expected to exceed, the action level. Removable contamination means beryllium contamination that can be removed from surfaces by nondestructive means, such as casual contact, wiping, brushing or washing. Responsible employer means: (1) For DOE contractor employees, the DOE contractor office that is directly responsible for the safety and health of DOE contractor employees while performing a beryllium activity or other activity at a DOE facility; or (2) For DOE employees, the DOE office that is directly responsible for the safety and health of DOE Federal employees while performing a beryllium activity or other activity at a DOE facility; and (3) Any person acting directly or indirectly for such office with respect to terms and conditions of employment of beryllium-associated workers. Site Occupational Medical Director (SOMD) means the physician responsible for the overall direction and operation of the site occupational medicine program. Unique identifier means the part of a paired set of labels, used in records that contain confidential information, that does not identify individuals except by using the matching label. Worker means a person who performs work for or on behalf of DOE, including a DOE employee, an independent contractor, a DOE contractor or subcontractor employee, or any other person who performs work at a DOE facility. Worker exposure means the exposure of a worker to airborne beryllium that would occur if the worker were not using respiratory protective equipment. (b) Terms undefined in this part that are defined in the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 shall have the same meaning as under that Act.

10 C.F.R. § 850.4 Enforcement.

DOE may take appropriate steps pursuant to part 851 of this chapter to enforce compliance by contractors with this part and any DOE-approved CBDPP.

10 C.F.R. § 850.5 Dispute resolution.

(a) Subject to paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, any worker who is adversely affected by an action taken, or failure to act, under this part may petition the Office of Hearings and Appeals for relief in accordance with 10 CFR part 1003, Subpart G. (b) The Office of Hearings and Appeals may not accept a petition from a worker unless the worker requested the responsible employer to correct the violation, and the responsible employer refused or failed to take corrective action within a reasonable time. (c) If the dispute relates to a term or condition of employment that is covered by a grievance-arbitration provision in a collective bargaining agreement, the worker must exhaust all applicable grievance-arbitration procedures before filing a petition for relief with the Office of Hearings and Appeals. A worker is deemed to have exhausted all applicable grievance-arbitration procedures if 150 days have passed since the filing of a grievance and a final decision on it has not been issued.