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are legal standards. Note, that many states publish their own PELs and open adopt the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) TLVs. Additional guidance may be found in the current annual edition of "Threshold Limit Values and Biological Exposure Indices" published by the ACGIH. This document contains the often cited Threshold Limit ValuelTime-Weighted-Average (TLV-TWA), Threshold Limit Value/Short-Term Exposure Limit (TLV-STEL) and Ceiling (C) exposure limits. Also providing relevant guidance are the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Recommended Exposure Limits (RELs) found in "NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards" (1990) available from the U.S. Government Printing Office. Note that there are some differences between these standards. TLVs are not intended to be applied by untrained persons. Engineering Controls It is a basic tenet of respiratory protection that an employer must first employ whatever engineering controls are available to reduce the hazard. If, after instituting such controls, conditions still warrant the use of respiratory protection, then such use must be implemented. An example of an engineering control would be an exhaust hood to control venting vapors while drilling. Medical Assessment for Respirator Use Prior to distribution of respirators to individuals and their fit testing, individuals must see a qualified physician to undergo an occupational physical assessment for proposed .respirator use. This is a strict legal requirement. A physician who is Board-certified in Occupational Health is recommended. There are numerous medical issues which must be addressed by a qualified medical professional, such as diabetes, cardiovascular problems, and the like, which are not readily apparent to the untrained individual_ Respirator Fit Terming As previously stated, respirator fit testing is performed only after approval by a qualified physician_ Fit testing is intended to verify the fit of a particular brand of respirator to a specific individual, demonstrate effectiveness and instill confidence in respiratory performance, and allow the tested individual to determine and experience the physical limitations of respirator use. 6_ Medical Surveillance In addition to medical approval and surveillance for use of respiratory protection equipment, baseline physicals and medical surveillance may be required for certain work under special circumstances. If exposure to concentrations of toxic chemicals, such as benzene, vinyl chloride, and asbestos for example, is above action levels, then 1:6 i