Beryllium

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Health Monitoring for Beryllium under WHS Regulations

We prioritise the wellbeing of workers exposed to inorganic lead. Under the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations, stringent measures are in place to ensure the safety and health of individuals engaged in Beryllium risk work.

We work in accordance with state legislation

Discover the Power and Risks of Beryllium

Introduction to Beryllium

Beryllium is a versatile grey metal found in nature, often as a mineral combined with silica or aluminium and silica. It exists in a free metal state or as an ion. Naturally occurring as the silicate bertrandite and aluminosilicate beryl, beryllium has a wide range of applications across various industries.

Industrial Uses of Beryllium

Beryllium metal is invaluable in high-performance and high-tech applications:

Space Technology: Structural material
Rocket Fuels: Additive
Nuclear Reactors: Moderator and reflector
Navigational Systems: Essential component
Manufacturing:
- Aircraft disc brakes
- X-ray transmission windows
- Missile parts
- Fuel containers
- Heat shields
- Alloys

Health Monitoring and Safety Regulations

Health Monitoring Under WHS Regulations

Monitoring includes:

Collecting demographic, medical, and occupational history
Recording personal exposure
Conducting physical examinations focusing on respiratory and dermatological systems
Measuring urinary beryllium levels

Health Monitoring Before Starting Work

Discuss potential health effects from beryllium exposure
Educate workers on recognising and reporting symptoms
Outline the health monitoring program, including test frequency and types

During Exposure to Beryllium

Arrange health monitoring for workers exposed or suspected to be exposed to beryllium
Conduct periodic medical examinations focusing on the respiratory and dermatological systems

Beryllium Exposure Standards

The workplace exposure standard for beryllium and its compounds is:

An eight-hour time-weighted average (TWA) of 0.002 mg/m3

Removal and Return to Work

Workers showing symptoms or having high exposure levels should be removed from beryllium-related work
They can return to work after being assessed as medically fit by a registered medical practitioner and upon recommendation to the PCBU

Potential Health Effects of Beryllium

Routes of Occupational Exposure

Primary Route: Inhalation
Other Routes: Minimal absorption through skin and ingestion

Target Organs and Effects

Skin: Dermatitis, irritation, sensitisation
Respiratory Tract: Irritation, fibrosis, pulmonary edema, chemical pneumonitis, chronic beryllium disease (CBD), sensitisation
Eyes: Irritation

Acute and Chronic Effects

Acute Effects: Irritation of the nose and throat, cough, shortness of breath, inflammation, pulmonary edema, pneumonitis
Chronic Effects: Beryllium sensitisation, CBD, lung cancer

Carcinogenicity

Most beryllium compounds are classified as Category 1B carcinogens under the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), indicating they are presumed to cause cancer in humans.

Occupational Exposure Risks

Working with beryllium can pose significant health risks. Under the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations, beryllium and its compounds are listed as restricted hazardous chemicals and require authorisation from a relevant WHS regulator for use in abrasive blasting at concentrations above 0.1 percent.

Sources of Non-Occupational Exposure

Non-occupational exposure to beryllium primarily comes from:

Combustion of fossil fuels
Hazardous waste sites
Tobacco smoke

Beryllium is also present in consumer products such as computers, mobile phones, and televisions, though direct contact is unlikely.

Source documents

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (2014); Beryllium – Health Effects; https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/beryllium.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Biomonitoring Program; Biomonitoring summary; Beryllium; https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/Beryllium_BiomonitoringSummary.html
Chemical analysis branch handbook, 9th Edition, Workplace and biological monitoring exposure analysis, WorkCover NSW (PDF 3.39MB).
DFG (2015) List of MAK and BAT Values.
EU Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limits (SCOEL). Recommendation from the scientific committee on occupational exposure limits for beryllium and inorganic beryllium compounds. SCOEL/REC/175.
Health and Safety Executive (2011); Beryllium; A review of the health effects and the evidence for screening or surveillance in workers exposed to beryllium; (PDF 1MB).
Lauwerys, R.R. and Hoet, P. (2001) Industrial Chemical Exposure Guidelines for Biological Monitoring, 3rd Ed, Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton.
National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme, Inventory Multi-Tiered Assessment and Prioritisation (IMAP) Human Health Tier II Assessment for Beryllium Metal and Beryllium Oxide.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration; Health and Safety Topics; Beryllium; United States Department of Labor; https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/beryllium/
Safe Work Australia (2013); Workplace Exposure Standards for Airborne Contaminants (PDF 873KB).
Safe Work Australia; Hazardous Chemicals Information System.
United States Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration; Health and Safety Topics; Beryllium – Health effects; https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/beryllium/healtheffects.html
US Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (2002) Toxicological profile for beryllium (PDF 1.99MB).

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