PREFACE
This publication documents the criteria and information
sources that have been used by the National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to determine
immediately dangerous to life or health concentrations
(IDLHs). IDLHs were originally determined for 387 substances
in the mid-1970's as part of the Standards Completion
Program (SCP), a joint project by NIOSH and the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), for use in
assigning respiratory protection equipment. NIOSH is
currently evaluating the scientific adequacy of the
criteria and procedures used during the SCP for establishing
IDLHs. In the interim, the IDLHs have been reviewed
and, (if appropriate) revised. In this document, IDLHs
are listed with the basis and references for the current
values as well as with the original IDLHs and their
documentation (as paraphrased from the SCP draft technical
standards).
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special appreciation is extended to the following
individuals from the Division of Standards Development
and Technology Transfer: Crystal L. Ellison for locating
the references and verifying the information used during
the Standards Completion Program to determine the original
IDLHs; Rosmarie T. Hagedorn, Marsha A. Striley, and
B. JoAnne Hamons for typing the numerous drafts of
this document; Vanessa L. Becks for assistance in page
design; and Laurence D. Reed, Ralph D. Zumwalde, Robert
W. Mason, and G. Kent Hatfield for their technical
reviews and comments.
*DISCLAIMER
Mention of the name of any company or product does not constitute endorsement
by
the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
This document is in the public domain and may
be freely copied or reprinted.
Copies of this document (NTIS Publication No. PB-94-195047)
are available from the National
Technical Information Service (NTIS) ,
Springfield, VA 22161 (703-487-4650). Copies of
other NIOSH documents are available from the NIOSH
Publications Office.
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