Announcement of Chemical Carcinogen Policy

NIOSH published the final document entitled “Current Intelligence Bulletin 68: NIOSH Chemical Carcinogen Policy” on December 27, 2016. Underlying this policy is the recognition that there is no safe level of exposure to a carcinogen, and therefore that reduction of worker exposure to chemical carcinogens as much as possible through elimination or substitution and engineering controls is the primary way to prevent occupational cancer. Accordingly, this policy no longer uses the term recommended exposure limit (REL) for chemical carcinogens; rather NIOSH will only recommend an initial starting point for control, called the Risk Management Limit for Carcinogens (RML-CA). For each chemical identified as a carcinogen, this level corresponds to the 95% lower confidence limit of the risk estimate of one excess cancer case in 10,000 workers in a 45-year working lifetime. Keeping exposures within the risk level of 1 in 10,000 is the minimum level of protection and striving for lower levels of exposure is recommended. When measurement of the occupational carcinogen at the RML-CA is not analytically feasible at the 1 in 10,000 risk estimate, NIOSH will set the RML-CA at the limit of quantification (LOQ) of the analytical method. In addition, NIOSH will continue to evaluate available information on existing engineering controls and also make that information available when publishing the RML-CA.

The foundation on which the NIOSH chemical carcinogen policy is built is cancer hazard classification. To avoid government duplication and to utilize transparent and systematic assessments, NIOSH will rely on existing cancer hazard assessments completed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) National Toxicology Program (NTP), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), and the World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

The development of the NIOSH chemical carcinogen policy involved rigorous and transparent processes for public and peer review. A public review period and public meeting provided opportunities and a forum for discussion about the draft document, as well as opportunities to solicit feedback and comments, and to allow stakeholders to make presentations to NIOSH. All written comments submitted in response to the external review, including materials presented at the public meeting and the meeting transcript, have been considered and are made available as part of the public record.

NIOSH has created a new NIOSH Cancer and REL Policy Web Topic Page.

Background Information

Revised Final Document: Current Intelligence Bulletin 68: NIOSH Chemical Carcinogen Policy [PDF – 2 MB]

Final Document: Current Intelligence Bulletin 68: NIOSH Chemical Carcinogen Policy [PDF – 2 MB]

Notice of Request for Information; 76 FR 52664; 8/23/11 [PDF – 3,019 KB]

Notice and Extension of Public Comment Period; 76 FR 60500 :9/29/11 [PDF – 145 KB]

Notice of public meeting and request for public comments; 76 FR 71346; 11/17/11 [PDF – 157 KB]

NIOSH 1988 Testimony to OSHA on the Proposed Rule on Air Contaminants [PDF – 19,065 KB]

Meeting held at Hubert H. Humphrey Building, December 12, 2011

Presentation by Schulte (NIOSH) entitled, “Introduction to the public meeting to seek comments on the current NIOSH policy to classify carcinogens and establish recommended exposures limits” [PDF – 6,386 KB]

Agenda [PDF – 257 KB]

List of attendees [PDF – 671 KB]

Transcript – 12/12/11 [PDF – 30,618 KB]

Submissions from the Public in the Order Received

Submission to the docket from Kelse (RT Vanderbilt Company, Inc) – 8/29/11 [PDF – 274 KB]

Submission to the docket from private person – 9/4/11 [PDF – 205 KB]

Submission to the docket from Power (private person) – 9/21/11 [PDF – 995 KB]

Submission to the docket from Kojola (AFL-CIO) – 9/22/11 [PDF – 2,181 KB]

Submission to the docket from Fendley (United Steelworkers) – 9/22/11 [PDF – 1,127 KB]

Submission to the docket from Rudakewych (Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA)) – 9/22/11 [PDF – 1,694 KB]

Submission to the docket from Kolanz (Materion Brush Inc.) – 9/22/11 [PDF – 1,818 KB]

Submission to the docket from Venturin (Unifrax I LLC) – 9/22/11 [PDF – 5,412 KB]

Submission to the docket from Paul (American Association for Justice) – 9/22/11 [PDF – 1,438 KB]

Submission to the docket from Coleman (Titanium Dioxide Stewardship Council) – 9/22/11 [PDF – 1,814 KB]

Submission to the docket from Tyler (private person) – 9/23/11 [PDF – 789 KB]

Submission to the docket from Morawetz (International Chemical Workers Union Council) – 10/13/11 [PDF – 1,334 KB]

Submission to the docket from Sivin (United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers Of America (UAW) – 12/9/11 [PDF – 939 KB]

Submission to the docket from Korpi (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)) – 12/9/11 [PDF – 843 KB]

Submission to the docket from Siska (private person) – 12/22/11 [PDF – 641 KB]

Submission to the docket from Cohen (Health Care Without Harm) – 12/22/11 [PDF – 731 KB]

Submission to the docket from McGarity, Shapiro, Wagner & Shudtz (Center for Progress Reform) – 12/22/11 [PDF – 2,621 KB]

Submission to the docket from Jones (American Public Health Association (APHA)) – 12/23/11 [PDF – 217 KB]

Submission to the docket from Rizzo (Breast Cancer Fund) – 12/24/11 [PDF – 1,612 KB]

Submission to the docket from Strachan (National Petrochemical & Refiners Association (NPRA) – 12/28/11 [PDF – 632 KB]

Submission to the docket from Stafford (Building and Construction Trades Department) – 12/28/11 [PDF – 1,083 KB]

Submission to the docket from Melius (New York State Laborers’ Health & Safety Trust Fund) – 12/29/11 [PDF – 596 KB]

Submission to the docket from Scranton (Women’s Voices for the Earth) – 12/29/11 [PDF – 1,062 KB]

Submission to the docket from Halprin (Keller and Heckman LLP) – 12/29/11 [PDF – 3,047 KB]

Submission to the docket from Ellis (Industrial Minerals Association – North America (IMA-NA)) – 12/29/11 [PDF – 707 KB]

Submission to the docket from Wise (American Chemistry Council) – 12/29/11 [PDF – 14,331 KB]

Submission to the docket from Snyder (Styrene Information Research Center) – 12/29/11 [PDF – 39,421 KB]

Submission to the docket from Easthope (Ecology Center) – 12/30/11 [PDF – 967 KB]

Submission to the docket from Casciotti/Zuckerman (Cancer Prevention and Treatment Fund) – 12/30/11 [PDF – 1,334 KB]

Submission to the docket from Hawes (Worksafe) – 12/30/11 [PDF – 2,227 KB]

Submission to the docket from Taylor (Environmental Health Strategy Center) – 12/30/11 [PDF – 704 KB]

Submission to the docket from Porter (California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative) – 12/3011 [PDF – 1,409 KB]

Submission to the docket from Brody and Rudel (Silent Spring Institute) – 12/30/11 [PDF – 1,395 KB]

Submission to the docket from Belliveau (Environmental Health Strategy Center) – 12/30/11 [PDF – 555 KB]

Submission to the docket from Kriebel/Tickner/Clapp/Jacobs (University of Massachusetts) – 12/30/11 [PDF – 1,784 KB]

Submission to the docket from Quint (California Department of Health) – 12/30/11 [PDF – 1,977 KB]

Submission to the docket from Dobbins (American Composites Manufacturers Association) – 1/3/12 [PDF – 680 KB]