Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

The beryllium "double standard" standard.

David S Egilman1, Sarah Bagley, Molly Biklen

  • 1Never Again Consulting, Attleboro, MA 02703, USA. degilman2@cs.com

International Journal of Health Services : Planning, Administration, Evaluation
|February 5, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Brush Wellman hid beryllium disease cases below the safety threshold, falsely claiming the standard was safe. This corporate misconduct exposed workers and consumers to beryllium, prioritizing profit over health.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

RE-MAKING SELVES AND SOCIAL WORLDS: EXPERIENCES OF LIVE-IN SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT AMONG ADOLESCENTS EXPERIENCING SOCIAL STRUCTURAL MARGINALIZATION IN VANCOUVER.

SSM. Qualitative research in health·2026
Same author

Building social support into mental health and substance use treatment trajectories: Insights from a longitudinal qualitative and ethnographic study with young people experiencing unstable housing and homelessness.

Child & youth services·2025
Same author

The effectiveness of the communities that HEAL intervention on reducing non-fatal opioid overdoses: A prespecified secondary analysis of a waitlist cluster control randomized controlled trial.

The International journal on drug policy·2025
Same author

Family-centred interventions for people with substance use disorders in low-income and middle-income country settings: a scoping review protocol.

BMJ open·2024
Same author

Effective Treatments for Opioid Use Disorder - Finding Recovery and Staying Safe.

The New England journal of medicine·2024
Same author

Treating Opioid Use Disorder in General Practice - Diagnosis, Harm Reduction, and Medications.

The New England journal of medicine·2024

Area of Science:

  • Occupational Health
  • Environmental Toxicology
  • Industrial Hygiene

Background:

  • Brush Wellman, a major beryllium producer, disseminated information regarding exposure limits.
  • The Threshold Limit Value (TLV) for beryllium was established as a safety standard.

Observation:

  • Internal documents reveal Brush Wellman intentionally concealed beryllium disease cases occurring below the TLV.
  • The company misrepresented the TLV's efficacy in publications and communications.
  • A zero exposure standard was implemented for executives, contrasting with the 'safe' 2 microgram standard communicated to workers and customers.

Findings:

  • Brush Wellman's actions were deliberate, motivated by financial gain.
  • The company utilized the inadequate TLV as a legal defense and sales tactic.

Related Experiment Videos

  • This misconduct led to widespread beryllium exposure and numerous victims.

    • Implications:

    • Corporate malfeasance in the beryllium industry highlights systemic issues.
    • The pursuit of profit incentivizes neglecting worker health and safety.
    • Costs are externalized to workers, families, and society.