Occupational Exposure Limits for Hazardous Agents in the Workplace in China - Part 1: Chemical Hazardous Agents (GBZ 2.1-2019), issued by the National Health Commission on August 27, 2019, and officially implemented on April 1, 2020, is a mandatory national occupational health standard. The biological monitoring indicators and occupational exposure biological limits list are recommended requirements. Currently, it includes 29 biological monitoring indicators and their corresponding occupational exposure biological limits, covering biological monitoring of heavy metals, organic solvents, pesticides, and other chemicals. Monitoring biological materials include urine, blood, exhaled air, hair, etc.
► Employers can use biological monitoring results as a supplement to air monitoring. When biological monitoring results exceed the occupational exposure biological limit, it indicates that the worker's exposure level has exceeded the safe range. Effective control measures should be taken, including improving protective facilities, relocating personnel who exceed the limit, and reducing exposure concentration levels.
► In addition to meeting limit requirements, attention should also be paid during biological monitoring to sampling time and methods as specified by standards. A comprehensive assessment of biological monitoring results should be conducted based on air monitoring and occupational history, and biological monitoring records should be established.
► Biological monitoring cannot replace air monitoring; they should complement each other. For substances absorbed through the skin (such as benzene, organophosphorus pesticides), greater emphasis should be placed on their biological monitoring indicators and occupational exposure biological limits.
Click here to search for the latest inventory
