Where beryllium is present in operational areas of DOE facilities, the responsible employer must conduct routine surface sampling to determine housekeeping conditions. Surfaces contaminated with beryllium dusts and waste must not exceed a removable contamination level of 3 µg/100 cm2 during non-operational periods. This sampling would not include the interior of installed closed systems such as enclosures, glove boxes, chambers, or ventilation systems.
When cleaning floors and surfaces in areas where beryllium is present at DOE facilities, the responsible employer must clean beryllium-contaminated floors and surfaces using a wet method, vacuuming or other cleaning methods, such as sticky tack cloths, that avoid the production of airborne dust. Compressed air or dry methods must not be used for such cleaning.
The responsible employer must equip the portable or mobile vacuum units that are used to clean beryllium-contaminated areas with HEPA filters, and change the filters as often as needed to maintain their capture efficiency.
The responsible employer must ensure that the cleaning equipment that is used to clean beryllium-contaminated surfaces is labeled, controlled, and not used for non-hazardous materials.