Assessment of health effects and methods for the measurement of exposure levels in workplace atmospheres for potassium hydroxide

Document: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Regarding the "expert appraisal for recommending occupational exposure limits for chemical agents" Assessment of health effects and methods for the measurement of exposure levels in workplace atmospheres for potassium hydroxide (CAS No. 1310-58-3) 

Presentation of the issue - On 12 June 2007, the French Agency for Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (AFSSET), which became ANSES on 1 July 2010, received a formal request from the French Directorate General for Labour to conduct the expert appraisal work required for establishing recommendations on measures to be taken in the event of specific exposure profiles such as those with peaks. 

A first report, published in June 20091, issued recommendations on measures to be taken in the event of an existing 8h-OELV without short-term exposure limit (STELV).

A second report, published in October 20102 addressed the second part of the issue, i.e. substances with a short-term exposure limit (15min-STELV) but no 8h-OELV. Among other things, it recommended studying the 36 French substances existing under French labour regulations with a short-term exposure limit but no 8h-OELV in order to recommend health values from the most recent scientific literature. This report on potassium hydroxide was written in this context.

France currently has an indicative 15-minute exposure limit of 2 mg.m-3 for potassium hydroxide. This value was set in the Circular of 13 May 1987 of the Ministry of Labour (not published in the OJ). 

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