Enterprise Health
Occupational Health

TLVThreshold Limit Value

A recommended occupational exposure guideline published by the ACGIH, often stricter than OSHA's legal PEL.

Reviewed June 2026 by Enterprise Health

Key facts

  • Consensus exposure guideline published by the ACGIH.
  • Not legally enforceable, but reflects current science.
  • Often stricter than OSHA's legal PELs.

What it means

Threshold Limit Values are consensus exposure guidelines from the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). Though not legally enforceable, TLVs reflect current science and are widely used by industrial hygienists to set internal exposure targets and design surveillance more protective than the older PELs.

Frequently asked

Who publishes Threshold Limit Values?

The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). TLVs are voluntary consensus guidelines, not law, but they're widely used to set protective internal exposure targets.

Why use a TLV instead of a PEL?

TLVs are updated to reflect current science and are frequently stricter than OSHA's older PELs. Industrial hygienists use them to design surveillance that's more protective than the legal minimum.

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