Cal/OSHA · dir.ca.gov
Aromatic Carcinogens

1,3-Butadiene Medical Surveillance

1,3-Butadiene causes leukemia and other hematopoietic cancers; affects workers in synthetic rubber, plastics, and petrochemical manufacturing.

Action Level0.5 ppm (8-hr TWA)
PEL1 ppm (8-hr TWA); STEL 5 ppm / 15 min
Who is covered: Employees exposed at/above the AL 30+ days/year OR at/above the PEL 10+ days/year; plus transferred employees with a qualifying exposure history (at/above the PEL 30+ days/year for 10+ years, or at/above the AL 60+ days/year for 10+ years); plus any employee exposed in an emergency

Evaluation performed by: Licensed physician

🩺 Baseline / Pre-Placement

Initial physical examination before/at the start of BD-exposure duties, if 12 months or more have elapsed since the last physical examination meeting these requirements

  • Health questionnaire / comprehensive occupational and health history (Appendix C forms), updated annually, with particular emphasis on the hematopoietic and reticuloendothelial systems
  • Complete physical examination with special emphasis on the liver, spleen, lymph nodes, and skin
  • Complete blood count (CBC) with differential and platelet count
🕒 Periodic / Routine

Interval-based while covered — NOT result-triggered

Schedule: Health questionnaire and CBC every year; a full physical examination every 3 years after the initial physical examination.

  • Annual: health questionnaire (Appendix C) with hematopoietic/reticuloendothelial emphasis
  • Annual: CBC with differential and platelet count
  • Every 3 years: complete physical examination with special emphasis on the liver, spleen, lymph nodes, and skin
🚪 Exit / Termination

At termination of employment, if 12 months or more have elapsed since the last physical examination

  • Health questionnaire / comprehensive occupational and health history (Appendix C forms), updated annually, with particular emphasis on the hematopoietic and reticuloendothelial systems
  • Complete physical examination with special emphasis on the liver, spleen, lymph nodes, and skin
  • Complete blood count (CBC) with differential and platelet count
Abnormal results & exposure-event protocols

Abnormal Results & Exposure-Event Protocols

  • Emergency exposure to BD 8 CCR 5201(k)(4)(ii): Provide medical screening as quickly as possible, no later than 48 hours after exposure: a CBC within 48 hours of the exposure and then monthly for three months. Tests: CBC within 48 hours of the exposure, Monthly CBC for 3 months following the exposure
  • Abnormal annual health questionnaire and/or CBC result on review 8 CCR 5201(k)(3)(i)(D): Examining physician orders additional medical examinations or tests as warranted at the physician's discretion. Tests: Physician-directed additional examinations/tests

Reporting Requirements

Who performs the evaluationLicensed physician
Reported to employerWritten opinion limited to: occupationally pertinent results of the medical evaluation; whether the employee has any detected medical condition that would place health at increased risk of material impairment from BD; recommended limitations on BD exposure; and a statement that the employee was informed of the results. Must NOT reveal specific records, findings, or diagnoses with no bearing on ability to work with BD.
Reported to / for the employeeEmployee informed of the results; furnished a copy of the written opinion.
Time limitsWritten opinion provided within 15 business days of the evaluation.
Second-opinion / multi-physician reviewNo multiple-physician-review scheme codified in the standard.
RecordkeepingMedical records retained for the duration of employment plus 30 years (8 CCR 3204).

Medical Removal Protection

No MRP wage-protection scheme codified; the physician provides a written opinion with recommended exposure limitations.

How this compares to Federal OSHA: Essentially aligned — California adopted the federal BD standard nearly verbatim (identical AL/PEL/STEL, annual CBC + questionnaire, triennial physical, 48-hour emergency CBC + monthly-for-3-months protocol). The meaningful jurisdictional note is structural: federal has NO construction variant (1926.1151 does not exist), so the requirement lives only in general industry; California likewise has a single general-industry section (5201).

Occu-Med handles 1,3-Butadiene surveillance end-to-end

Scheduling, exams, lab panels, physician review, removal/return determinations, and audit-ready recordkeeping — fully compliant with Cal/OSHA requirements.