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Home›Courses›Hazardous Materials & HAZWOPER›Working With Benzene Interactive Training

Working With Benzene Interactive Training

30 minutesENHazardous Materials & HAZWOPER29 CFR 1910.1028 (Benzene)
Quick Answer

Working With Benzene is a 30-minute online course that trains employees to understand benzene health hazards, follow OSHA exposure controls, and comply with medical surveillance requirements under 29 CFR 1910.1028. It is designed for workers in petroleum refining, chemical manufacturing, and other industries where benzene exposure occurs and includes a downloadable certificate of completion.

Course Overview

Benzene is a known human carcinogen classified by OSHA, NIOSH, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as causing leukemia and other blood disorders. OSHA's Benzene Standard at 29 CFR 1910.1028 sets a permissible exposure limit of 1 part per million as an 8-hour time-weighted average and a short-term exposure limit of 5 ppm over any 15-minute period - among the most restrictive PELs in OSHA's substance-specific standards. Violations of benzene exposure requirements carry penalties of up to $16,550 for serious citations and $165,514 for willful violations.

This course prepares your employees to understand the health effects of benzene exposure, identify workplace operations where benzene is present, and follow the engineering controls, work practices, and personal protective equipment requirements that keep exposure below OSHA limits. The training covers respiratory protection selection, regulated area requirements, medical surveillance provisions including blood count monitoring, and emergency procedures for benzene spills or overexposure.

What You'll Learn

  • Health effects of benzene exposure including leukemia, aplastic anemia, and blood disorders
  • OSHA PEL (1 ppm TWA) and STEL (5 ppm) for benzene under 29 CFR 1910.1028
  • Common workplace sources of benzene and routes of occupational exposure
  • Engineering controls and work practices for reducing benzene exposure
  • Respiratory protection requirements and selection for benzene work
  • Regulated area requirements and access restrictions
  • Medical surveillance program provisions including complete blood counts and physical exams
  • Emergency procedures for benzene spills, leaks, and acute overexposure

Who Needs This Training

  • Petroleum refinery operators and maintenance workers handling benzene-containing streams
  • Chemical plant employees involved in benzene production, processing, or storage
  • Laboratory workers handling benzene or benzene-containing solvents
  • Rubber and plastics manufacturing workers using benzene-based compounds
  • Tank cleaning and confined space workers in petrochemical facilities
  • Supervisors responsible for benzene exposure monitoring and regulated area management

Regulatory Background

OSHA's Benzene Standard at 29 CFR 1910.1028 was revised in 1987 to reduce the PEL from 10 ppm to 1 ppm as an 8-hour TWA, reflecting the established link between benzene and leukemia. The standard also sets a short-term exposure limit of 5 ppm over any 15-minute period. Employers must establish regulated areas wherever benzene concentrations may exceed the PEL or STEL, restrict access to authorized personnel, and implement engineering controls and work practices as the primary means of exposure reduction. Medical surveillance is required for employees exposed at or above the action level (0.5 ppm) for 30 or more days per year, including initial and annual physical exams with complete blood counts. Violations carry serious citation penalties of up to $16,550 and willful penalties up to $165,514. Employers who document that benzene is used in the workplace fewer than 30 days per year may use respiratory protection in lieu of engineering controls under limited circumstances.

Frequently Asked Questions

OSHA's PEL for benzene is 1 part per million as an 8-hour TWA, with a short-term exposure limit of 5 ppm over 15 minutes. The low limit reflects benzene's classification as a confirmed human carcinogen that causes leukemia, aplastic anemia, and other blood disorders. OSHA reduced the PEL from 10 ppm to 1 ppm in 1987 based on epidemiological evidence linking chronic benzene exposure to cancer. NIOSH recommends an even lower limit of 0.1 ppm as a 10-hour TWA.
Medical surveillance is required for employees exposed at or above the action level of 0.5 ppm for 30 or more days per year, or at or above the PEL for 10 or more days per year. The program includes an initial exam within 60 days, annual follow-ups with complete blood counts, and additional exams after emergency exposures. The physician reviews blood count results for signs of benzene-related hematological effects, and employees must be notified of their medical results.
Benzene is a natural component of crude oil and petroleum products. The highest exposures typically occur in petroleum refining, petrochemical manufacturing, coke oven operations, and rubber manufacturing. Workers may also be exposed during storage and distribution of gasoline and petroleum products, in laboratories using benzene as a solvent, and in tire manufacturing operations. The standard exempts certain downstream gasoline distribution and retail operations, as well as sealed containers and pipelines.
Employers must establish regulated areas wherever airborne benzene concentrations exceed or can reasonably be expected to exceed the PEL (1 ppm TWA) or STEL (5 ppm over 15 minutes). Access is limited to authorized persons, and the areas must be demarcated from the rest of the workplace. Within regulated areas, employees must use respiratory protection and appropriate personal protective clothing to prevent skin and eye contact with liquid benzene.
Online training can address the information and knowledge components of OSHA's benzene training requirements, including health effects, exposure limits, and medical surveillance provisions. Employers must also provide training specific to their workplace, including identification of benzene-containing processes, location of regulated areas, the respiratory protection program, emergency procedures, and how to access monitoring results and medical records. Training is required at initial assignment and at least annually for employees above the action level.

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Employers managing comprehensive chemical exposure programs often pair this course with HAZCOM: In The Know for foundational hazard communication training and Chemical Hazards: Hazardous Materials Safety for broader chemical safety awareness across the workforce beyond the specific benzene standard.

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$29.95
per person
Volume Pricing
Team Size Price per Person
1 - 9$29.95
10 - 24$23.95
25 - 49$21.55
50 - 99$17.50
Subtotal $29.95

Certificate of completion included. Downloadable upon passing the final assessment.

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$29.95
per person