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29 CFR 1926 Subpart Z1926.551910.1200

OSHA substance-specific standards: the limits, and what each one adds to HazCom

For a short list of chemicals, OSHA didn't stop at the air contaminant table. It wrote a standard for each one, with its own exposure limit and its own program. On a construction site they sit in Subpart Z of 29 CFR 1926: silica (1926.1153), lead (1926.62), asbestos (1926.1101), chromium (VI) (1926.1126), cadmium (1926.1127), beryllium (1926.1124) and MDA (1926.60) in their own words, and ten more that adopt the general-industry standard word for word, benzene (1926.1128) and formaldehyde (1926.1148) among them. None of them replaces HazCom. Six of the seven tell the employer, in almost the same sentence, to include the substance in its hazard communication program.

Verified against the eCFR · September 29, 2026

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At a glance

Where they sit

Subpart Z of Part 1926. Seven construction standards in full text, and ten sections that say their requirements are identical to a 1910 standard.

1926.60; 1926.62; 1926.1101 to 1926.1153

Everything else

A chemical without a standard of its own is held to Table 1 to 1926.55, or Table 2 for mineral dusts. Ceiling values are never exceeded; the rest are 8-hour averages.

1926.55(a)

The action level

The lower number that starts the duties. Lead: 30 µg/m³ against a 50 µg/m³ PEL. The construction asbestos standard has none.

1926.62(b), (c); 1926.1101(c)

HazCom still applies

Lead, silica, chromium (VI), cadmium, beryllium and MDA each require the substance to be included in the HazCom program: labels, SDSs, training.

1926.62(l)(1)(i); 1926.1153(i)(1)

Medical surveillance

Every full-text standard has it, and no two start it the same way. "30 days" counts days at the action level, days in a respirator, days of class work or days on listed tasks.

1926.62(j); 1926.1153(h)

Records

Exposure records for at least 30 years; medical records for the length of employment plus 30 years, unless a standard sets another period.

1910.1020(d)(1); 1926.33

The limits, substance by substance

Every limit below is an 8-hour time-weighted average unless the short-term column says otherwise, and each one is printed in the paragraph named in the source column. Where a 1926 section adopts a 1910 standard, the numbers are read in the 1910 text it points to.

SubstanceConstructionPEL (8-hour)Short-termAction levelSourceChemical pages
Respirable crystalline silicaFor a Table 1 task with its controls fully and properly in place, paragraph (d) doesn't apply: neither its PEL nor its exposure assessment.1926.1153GI: 1910.105350 µg/m³None25 µg/m³1926.1153(b), (d)(1)
LeadManual scraping, sanding, heat guns and power tool cleaning on lead paint are treated as above the PEL until an assessment shows otherwise (1926.62(d)(2)).1926.62GI: 1910.102550 µg/m³; over 8 hours, 400 ÷ hours workedNone30 µg/m³1926.62(b), (c)(1), (c)(2)
AsbestosNo action level in the construction standard. Asphalt roof coatings, cements and mastics that contain asbestos are outside it (1926.1101(a)(8)).1926.1101GI: 1910.10010.1 f/cc1.0 f/cc over 30 minutes (excursion limit)None1926.1101(c)(1), (c)(2)
Chromium (VI)Exposures to portland cement are outside the standard (1926.1126(a)(3)).1926.1126GI: 1910.10265 µg/m³None2.5 µg/m³1926.1126(b), (c)
CadmiumListed tasks put a worker in medical surveillance too: cadmium welding, cutting or welding cadmium-plated steel or cadmium-painted surfaces, demolition where cadmium is present. The exception needs fewer than 30 days a year both at the action level and in those tasks (1926.1127(l)(1)(i)(A)).1926.1127GI: 1910.10275 µg/m³None2.5 µg/m³1926.1127(b), (c)
BerylliumArticles that contain beryllium and that the employer does not process are outside the standard (1926.1124(a)(2)).1926.1124GI: 1910.10240.2 µg/m³2.0 µg/m³ over 15 minutes (STEL)0.1 µg/m³1926.1124(b), (c)
Methylenedianiline (MDA)Dermal exposure on 15 or more days a year triggers medical surveillance on its own (1926.60(n)(1)(i)(B)).1926.60GI: 1910.105010 ppb100 ppb (STEL)5 ppb1926.60(b), (c)None on this site
BenzeneGasoline and motor fuels after final discharge from bulk wholesale storage are outside the standard, except fuel dispensed indoors more than 4 hours a day (1910.1028(a)(2)(i)).1926.1128adopts 1910.10281 ppm5 ppm over any 15 minutes (STEL)0.5 ppm1910.1028(b), (c)
Methylene chloride1926.1152adopts 1910.105225 ppm125 ppm over 15 minutes (STEL)12.5 ppm1910.1052(b), (c)
Formaldehyde1926.55(d) says it outright: the general air contaminant limits don't apply to formaldehyde, 1910.1048 does.1926.1148adopts 1910.10480.75 ppm2 ppm over 15 minutes (STEL)0.5 ppm1910.1048(b), (c)
Inorganic arsenic1926.1118adopts 1910.101810 µg/m³None5 µg/m³1910.1018(b), (c)
Vinyl chlorideHandling or using fabricated PVC products is outside the standard (1910.1017(a)(2)).1926.1117adopts 1910.10171 ppm5 ppm over any period up to 15 minutes0.5 ppm1910.1017(b), (c)None on this site
Acrylonitrile1926.1145adopts 1910.10452 ppm10 ppm over any 15 minutes (ceiling)1 ppm1910.1045(b), (c)
Ethylene oxide1926.1147adopts 1910.10471 ppm5 ppm over 15 minutes (excursion limit)0.5 ppm1910.1047(b), (c)
1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP)No eye or skin contact at all (1910.1044(c)(2)), and no action level.1926.1144adopts 1910.10441 ppbNoneNone1910.1044(c)(1)None on this site
13 carcinogens (4-nitrobiphenyl, benzidine and others)A regulated area wherever one is manufactured, processed, used, repackaged, released, handled or stored. Mixtures under 0.1% or 1.0%, depending on the substance, are outside it (1910.1003(a)(2)).1926.1103 to 1926.1116adopts 1910.1003No airborne numberNoneNone1910.1003(a), (c)None on this site
Coal tar pitch volatiles1910.1002 only defines the term. Asphalt is not covered (CAS 8052-42-4 and 64742-93-4).1926.1102adopts 1910.10020.2 mg/m³ (benzene-soluble fraction)NoneNoneTable 1 to 1926.55; 1910.1002

Proposed, not in force

On July 1, 2025, OSHA proposed revising the respirator provisions of 16 substance standards, to allow other respirator types or drop language that repeats 29 CFR 1910.134, according to each proposal's summary. In this table that covers asbestos, benzene, cadmium, lead, methylene chloride, MDA, vinyl chloride, formaldehyde, ethylene oxide, inorganic arsenic, acrylonitrile, DBCP and the 13 carcinogens. Silica, chromium (VI) and beryllium are not among them. Informal public hearings began August 19, 2026 (91 FR 33131). Until a final rule is published, the text in force is the one this page cites.

“The requirements applicable to construction work under this section are identical to those set forth at § 1910.1028 of this chapter.”
29 CFR 1926.1128 (benzene), verbatim. The other adopting sections use the same sentence.

A substance that isn't on this list still has a limit if Table 1 to 1926.55 names it. The 1926.55 page explains how that table works, and the chemical database finds a product's ingredients by CAS number. “GI” is the general-industry standard, for crews who also work in plants.

What a substance standard adds to HazCom

HazCom gets the label on the container and the crew trained. A substance standard adds the air sampling and the doctor. The map below gives the paragraph of each construction standard that carries each element, read in the current eCFR text.

ElementSilica1926.1153Lead1926.62Asbestos1926.1101Cr(VI)1926.1126Cadmium1926.1127Beryllium1926.1124MDA1926.60
Exposure assessment(d)(2)*(d)(f)(d)(d)(d)(f)
Regulated areas··(e)·(e)·(g)
Written plan(g)(1)(e)(2)··(f)(5)†(f)(1)(h)(5)
Competent person(g)(4)(e)(2)(iii)(o)·(b)‡(e)·
Respiratory protection(e)(f)(h)(f)(g)(g)(i)
Protective clothing·(g)(i)(g)(i)(h)(j)
Hygiene facilities·(i)(j)(h)(j)·(k)
Housekeeping(f)(h)(l)·(k)(j)(m)
Medical surveillance(h)(j)(m)(i)(l)(k)(n)
Medical removal·(k)··(l)(11)(l)(n)
HazCom and training(i)(l)(k)(j)(m)(m)(l)
Recordkeeping(j)(n)(n)(k)(n)(n)(o)

· The section has no paragraph on it. * Only for tasks off Table 1, or where Table 1 isn't fully and properly followed. † Where exposure exceeds the PEL; cadmium also requires a written emergency plan in (h). ‡ The duties are written into the definition. Beryllium's paragraph (i) is reserved.

“The employer shall include lead in the program established to comply with the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) (§ 1910.1200). The employer shall ensure that each employee has access to labels on containers of lead and safety data sheets, and is trained in accordance with the provisions of HCS and paragraph (l) of this section.”
29 CFR 1926.62(l)(1)(i), verbatim

Asbestos starts with the building

The asbestos standard's hazard communication paragraph reaches past the employer. Because most asbestos on a job is already installed, 1926.1101(k)(1) gives building owners, along with the employers of exposed workers, their own duties to find it and pass the information on. On a multi-employer site, the employer whose asbestos work needs a regulated area has to inform the other employers there (1926.1101(d)(1)); see multi-employer worksites.

Medical surveillance: seven triggers, not one

“30 days” turns up in almost every standard, and it counts something different each time. Lead counts days at the action level, silica counts days in a respirator, asbestos counts days of class work, and cadmium adds a list of tasks. Enroll by the standard in play.

Lead

Initial blood lead and ZPP testing for anyone exposed on any day at or above the action level. The full program for anyone at or above it for more than 30 days in any consecutive 12 months.

1926.62(j)(1)(i), (ii)

Asbestos

A combined 30 or more days a year of Class I, II or III work, or exposure at or above a PEL. A day of Class II or III work on intact material lasting an hour or less, with the work practices followed in full, isn't counted.

1926.1101(m)(1)(i)(A)

Silica

Anyone the standard requires to wear a respirator for 30 or more days a year. The count is respirator days, not exposure days.

1926.1153(h)(1)(i)

Chromium (VI)

At or above the action level for 30 or more days a year, signs or symptoms of Cr(VI) health effects, or exposure in an emergency.

1926.1126(i)(1)(i)

Cadmium

At or above the action level, or doing the listed tasks, such as cadmium welding or demolition where cadmium is present. The exception needs fewer than 30 days a year of both.

1926.1127(l)(1)(i)(A)

Beryllium

At or above the action level for more than 30 days a year, signs or symptoms of chronic beryllium disease, or a written medical opinion that recommends it.

1926.1124(k)(1)(i)

MDA

At or above the action level for 30 or more days a year, skin contact on 15 or more days a year, an emergency exposure, or signs or symptoms.

1926.60(n)(1)(i)

The silica trigger in detail, with the respirator count worked through: the 30-day respirator trigger.

Construction's own text, or general industry's

Written for construction

Silica (1926.1153), lead (1926.62), asbestos (1926.1101), chromium (VI) (1926.1126), cadmium (1926.1127), beryllium (1926.1124) and MDA (1926.60). These are the texts to read on a jobsite, and they differ from their general-industry twins: construction silica has Table 1, construction Cr(VI) and silica have no regulated areas.

Adopted word for word

Coal tar pitch volatiles (1926.1102), the 13 carcinogens (1926.1103 to 1926.1116), vinyl chloride (1926.1117), inorganic arsenic (1926.1118), benzene (1926.1128), DBCP (1926.1144), acrylonitrile (1926.1145), ethylene oxide (1926.1147), formaldehyde (1926.1148) and methylene chloride (1926.1152). Each one is a single sentence that points to the 1910 standard.

No construction section

Coke oven emissions (1910.1029; 1926.1129 is reserved), cotton dust (1910.1043) and 1,3-butadiene (1910.1051). For butadiene, the construction table itself points back: its row in Table 1 to 1926.55 reads “see 29 CFR 1910.1051.”

Records that outlast the job

“Each employee exposure record shall be preserved and maintained for at least thirty (30) years …”
29 CFR 1910.1020(d)(1)(ii), verbatim; 1926.33 is identical

What a silica sample record holds

The date, the task, the sampling and analytical methods, the number, duration and results of samples, the lab, the respirators worn, and the name and job of every employee the sample stands for, marking who was actually sampled (1926.1153(j)(1)(ii)). Objective data used instead of sampling get their own record ((j)(2)).

Medical records run for the length of employment plus 30 years (1910.1020(d)(1)(i)). A demolition hand who leaves the company in 2030 has a medical record it keeps until 2060, long after the job trailer is gone.

Handle a regulated substance on site, in six steps

  1. Step 1

    Find the substance on the SDS

    Section 3 of the safety data sheet lists the hazardous ingredients with their CAS numbers, and section 8 lists the OSHA PEL. That's where a primer's chromate or a patching compound's quartz shows up before the work starts.

  2. Step 2

    Check it against this table

    A substance with its own standard follows that standard. Everything else is held to Table 1 or Table 2 to 1926.55, with engineering or administrative controls first wherever feasible (1926.55(b)).

  3. Step 3

    Assess exposure before the job

    Each full-text standard asks for an exposure assessment. For silica, a Table 1 task done exactly as the table says replaces it. For lead, scraping, sanding and heat-gun work on lead paint count as above the PEL until the assessment says otherwise (1926.62(d)(2)).

  4. Step 4

    Write the plan the standard asks for

    Silica's written exposure control plan (1926.1153(g)), lead's compliance program before the job starts (1926.62(e)(2)), beryllium's exposure control plan (1926.1124(f)(1)). Name the competent person where the standard has one.

  5. Step 5

    Enroll the right people in medical surveillance

    Use the trigger of the standard in play, not a house rule of thumb. Silica counts respirator days; lead counts days at the action level; cadmium adds listed tasks.

  6. Step 6

    Train, then keep the records

    HazCom training plus what the substance standard adds, then exposure records for 30 years and medical records for employment plus 30 years (1910.1020(d)(1)), or longer where a standard says so.

Run it in HazComFast

Every product on the job sits in one inventory with its SDS a tap away. The silica plan is built from Table 1 on the phone. And the records are kept for the 30 years the rule asks for, whatever plan you're on.

Every product on the job, with its SDS

Build the chemical inventory jobsite by jobsite, and open any product's hazards, first aid and PPE in the SDS lookup. A QR code on the container opens its sheet for any worker, with no app to install.

A silica plan for each Table 1 task

Pick the task, the time on it (4 hours or less, or more) and indoors or outdoors. The engineering controls and the respirator come straight from Table 1. Add the housekeeping method, name the competent person from your register, and download the plan as a PDF, or every plan for a jobsite at once.

Records kept for 30 years

1910.1020 sets how long exposure records are kept, and a billing plan doesn't change it. Fit tests, read receipts on hazardous products (who read which sheet, when, in which language) and training certificates stay in the account, and you can export the full record at any time.

What each plan includes

  • Chemical inventory by jobsiteFrom Free
  • SDS lookup: hazards, first aid, PPEEvery plan
  • QR codes and public container scanEvery plan
  • SDS revision-date monitoringFrom Starter
  • Silica exposure control plans (Table 1)From Pro
  • Competent person registerFrom Pro
  • Respirator fit testingFrom Pro
  • Read proof on hazardous productsFrom Starter
  • 30-year retention on exposure recordsEvery plan
  • Full record export, any timeEvery plan
Start free Compare plans

Key facts

  • Seven construction standards carry their own full text: silica 1926.1153, lead 1926.62, asbestos 1926.1101, chromium (VI) 1926.1126, cadmium 1926.1127, beryllium 1926.1124 and MDA 1926.60.
  • Ten more 1926 sections, from coal tar pitch volatiles (1926.1102) to methylene chloride (1926.1152), say their requirements are identical to those set forth at a 1910 section.
  • Lead's limit shrinks on long shifts: over 8 hours, the allowable average is 400 divided by the hours worked, so 40 µg/m³ for a 10-hour day (1926.62(c)(2)).
  • The construction asbestos standard has no action level. Its limits are 0.1 f/cc as an 8-hour average and 1.0 f/cc over 30 minutes (1926.1101(c)).
  • The action level is not always half the PEL: lead's is 30 against 50 µg/m³ (1926.62(b), (c)) and formaldehyde's 0.5 against 0.75 ppm (1910.1048(b), (c)). Construction asbestos and DBCP have none.
  • Lead, silica, chromium (VI) and beryllium have no regulated-area paragraph in their construction standards. Asbestos (1926.1101(e)), cadmium (1926.1127(e)) and MDA (1926.60(g)) do.
  • 1926.55 sends asbestos, tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite dust to 1926.1101, and formaldehyde to 1910.1048 (1926.55(c), (d)).
  • Construction's air contaminant limits are Table 1 and Table 2 to 1926.55. OSHA split the old Appendix A into those two tables in its Standards Improvement Project IV rule (84 FR 21416, May 14, 2019).
  • Exposure records are kept at least 30 years, medical records for the length of employment plus 30 years, unless a specific standard sets a different period (1910.1020(d)(1)).

Tools, guides and the standards

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OSHA substance-specific standards FAQ

What is an OSHA substance-specific standard?

A standard written for one substance or one group, with its own exposure limit and its own program: exposure assessment, respirators, medical surveillance, training and records. In construction they sit in Subpart Z of 29 CFR 1926, for example lead (1926.62), silica (1926.1153) and asbestos (1926.1101). Substances without one are held to the air contaminant limits in Table 1 to 1926.55.

Which substances have their own OSHA standard in construction?

In full construction text: respirable crystalline silica (29 CFR 1926.1153), lead (1926.62), asbestos (1926.1101), chromium (VI) (1926.1126), cadmium (1926.1127), beryllium (1926.1124) and MDA (1926.60). By reference to general industry: coal tar pitch volatiles, the 13 carcinogens, vinyl chloride, inorganic arsenic, benzene, DBCP, acrylonitrile, ethylene oxide, formaldehyde and methylene chloride (1926.1102 to 1926.1152).

What is the difference between a PEL and an action level?

The PEL is the exposure no employee may exceed. The action level is a lower number that starts duties such as periodic monitoring and, in several standards, medical surveillance. Under 29 CFR 1926.62, lead's action level is 30 µg/m³ and its PEL 50 µg/m³, both as 8-hour averages. The construction asbestos standard has no action level at all.

Does a substance-specific standard replace HazCom?

No. The lead standard, for one, says the employer shall include lead in the program established to comply with the Hazard Communication Standard, give each employee access to labels and safety data sheets, and train under HCS and the lead standard (29 CFR 1926.62(l)(1)(i)). Silica, chromium (VI), cadmium, beryllium and MDA say the same for their substance.

What exposure limit applies to a chemical with no standard of its own on a construction site?

The limit in Table 1 to 29 CFR 1926.55, or Table 2 for mineral dusts. A limit marked (C) is a ceiling that is never exceeded; the others are 8-hour time-weighted averages (1926.55(a)). Administrative or engineering controls come first wherever feasible, then protective equipment (1926.55(b)).

How is medical surveillance triggered under the silica and lead standards?

Silica counts respirator days: surveillance is offered to anyone the standard requires to wear a respirator for 30 or more days a year (29 CFR 1926.1153(h)(1)(i)). Lead counts exposure: initial testing for anyone at or above the action level on any day, and the full program past 30 days in any consecutive 12 months (1926.62(j)(1)).

Does the benzene standard cover gasoline on a jobsite?

Not for ordinary fueling. 29 CFR 1910.1028(a)(2)(i), which 1926.1128 adopts for construction, excludes the storage, distribution, dispensing and use of gasoline and motor fuels after their final discharge from bulk wholesale storage, except where fuel is dispensed indoors for more than 4 hours a day.

Does the chromium (VI) standard apply to portland cement?

No. 29 CFR 1926.1126(a)(3) excludes exposures to portland cement. The other exclusions are EPA-regulated pesticide application, such as wood treatment, and materials or processes that objective data show can't release chromium (VI) at or above 0.5 µg/m³ as an 8-hour average ((a)(2), (a)(4)). Everything else is in, with a 5 µg/m³ PEL and a 2.5 µg/m³ action level.

Are asphalt fumes regulated as coal tar pitch volatiles?

No. 29 CFR 1910.1002, which 1926.1102 adopts, defines coal tar pitch volatiles as fused polycyclic hydrocarbons from the distillation residues of coal, petroleum, wood and other organic matter, and says asphalt (CAS 8052-42-4 and 64742-93-4) is not covered.

Is OSHA changing the substance-specific standards?

It has proposed to. On July 1, 2025, OSHA published proposals to revise the respirator provisions of 16 substance standards, among them asbestos, benzene, cadmium, lead and methylene chloride, to allow other respirator types or remove language that repeats 29 CFR 1910.134. Informal public hearings began August 19, 2026 (91 FR 33131). Silica, chromium (VI) and beryllium are not part of it, and until a final rule is published the current text applies.

How long must exposure and medical records be kept?

At least 30 years for exposure records and for the length of employment plus 30 years for medical records, unless a specific standard provides a different period (29 CFR 1910.1020(d)(1)). Construction's 1926.33 is identical, and the silica standard sends its air monitoring records to 1910.1020 by name (1926.1153(j)(1)(iii)).

Sources

29 CFR 1926.33, 1926.55, 1926.60, 1926.62, 1926.1101 to 1926.1153 and the 1910 sections they adopt, and 1910.1020, read on the eCFR on September 29, 2026; the 2025 proposals and the 2026 hearing notice read on the Federal Register the same day. General guidance, not legal advice; OSHA-approved State Plans may set their own limits and requirements.

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