29 CFR 1910 · General Industry

1910.1027(d)(3)(i): Cadmium Monitoring at or Above the Action Level

By Black Belt Safety Editorial Team Official text as of October 15, 2026 Data updated October 22, 2026 3 min read

In plain words:

If initial or periodic monitoring shows employee cadmium exposures at or above the action level, the employer must monitor at a frequency and pattern that represents exposure, and at least every six months, continuing until the conditions in (d)(3)(ii) are met.

Key takeaways

  • 1910.1027(d)(3)(i) is part of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR Part 1910).
  • OSHA cited it 1 times in the last 3 years, in 1 inspections, with $0 in current penalties.
  • 1 death is linked to inspections that cited this rule.
  • Related part: 1910.1027(d) Exposure monitoring (21 citations).
  • Free 5-minute toolbox talk for your crew below.
1citations, 3 years
$0current penalties
1inspections
1linked deaths
In this article
  1. What this rule covers
  2. Official text
  3. Injuries linked to this rule
  4. Where and how often it was cited
  5. Free toolbox talk
  6. OSHA interpretation letters
  7. Related parts of this rule
  8. Get your crew competent
  9. Frequently asked questions
  10. About this page

What this rule covers

29 CFR 1910.1027(d)(3)(i) is one requirement inside 1910.1027 Cadmium, an OSHA general industry standard (Part 1910). The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.

Official text

(i) If the initial monitoring or periodic monitoring reveals employee exposures to be at or above the action level, the employer shall monitor at a frequency and pattern needed to represent the levels of exposure of employees and where exposures are above the PEL to assure the adequacy of respiratory selection and the effectiveness of engineering and work practice controls. However, such exposure monitoring shall be performed at least every six months. The employer, at a minimum, shall continue these semi-annual measurements unless and until the conditions set out in paragraph (d)(3)(ii) of this section are met. 1 citations

Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1910.1027.

Injuries linked to this rule

1 death is linked to inspections where OSHA cited 1910.1027(d)(3)(i).

Employee inhales plastic dust, later dies from pneumonia
2024-05-02 · Fatal · RIO RANCHO, NM

At 10:00 a.m. on February 23, 2024, an employee working as a machine operator for an aircraft parts manufacturer was working in the fabrication department. The employee inhaled plastic dust which led to the employee developing pneumonia. At 9:00 a.m. on May 2, 2024, the…

Where and how often it was cited

Free toolbox talk

A 5-minute crew talk on 1910.1027(d)(3)(i), plus alerts when this rule changes. Free.




OSHA interpretation letters

None exist. OSHA has not published a letter of interpretation for 1910.1027(d)(3)(i).

Related parts of this rule

Get your crew competent

Trainers on Black Belt Safety: Marc Harvey, Dana Reyes

Trainers and suppliers: feature your business on this rule for $25/month.

Frequently asked questions

What triggers periodic monitoring?

Initial or periodic monitoring revealing exposures at or above the action level.

What is the minimum frequency?

At least every six months.

When does it end?

When the conditions set out in paragraph (d)(3)(ii) are met.

About this page

Sources

3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.

Written and reviewed by

Black Belt Safety Editorial Team

Site Safety Officer and Safety Professional

OSHA 30 · CPR · USACE CQM

Written and reviewed by the Black Belt Safety team. Every post is checked against the OSHA standard or agency source it cites.

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