Legally allowed concentrations of airborne contaminants in the workplace are called?

• A. PEL Permissible Exposure Limits
• B. TLV Threshold Limit Values
• C. OEL Occupational Exposure Limits
• D. AL Airborne Limits

Answer: (A)

Permissible Exposure Limits are the legally enforceable concentrations of airborne contaminants in workplace air. OSHA establishes these limits to specify the maximum average exposure a worker can experience over a defined period, typically an 8-hour workday (with some substances also having short-term exposure limits for brief periods). They are published in OSHA standards and related regulations and are used directly to assess compliance and guide control measures.

Understanding the other terms helps keep them straight: Threshold Limit Values come from the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists and are guidelines, not enforceable by OSHA. Occupational Exposure Limits is a broad, generic term that can refer to similar limits from various bodies, not a single enforceable standard in the U.S. Airborne Limits isn’t a standard term used for regulatory limits.