Lead

Lead has recently been in the news with regard to exposure to children, but it should be noted that exposure to this systemic poison may be a serious workplace hazard as well. Lead, a highly malleable, bluish white metal, is used to absorb sound and to shield radiation. Lead compounds are used in paint; lead alloys are used as solder, bullets, and in plumbing.

Lead can be a workplace hazard during and after demolitions & construction, within a machine shop, from paint chips, and from contractors working on plumbing and piping work or cleaning work surfaces contaminated with lead. Lead exposures may also occur during soldering operations, although exposure is less likely with a small soldering operation. Lead exposure can occur through inhalation, ingestion, or through dermal exposures -- although dermal exposure is less likely. Lead is a poison and exposure to it is cumulative.

As stated in an OSHA news release on July 20, 2001, "overexposure to lead can damage blood-forming, nervous, urinary and reproductive systems. It is commonly added to industrial paints because of its characteristic to resist corrosion and add certain color characteristics. Industries with particularly high potential exposures include: construction that involves welding, cutting, brazing, blasting, etc., on lead paint surfaces; most smelter operations either as a trace contaminant or as a major product; secondary lead smelters where lead is recovered from batteries; radiator repair shops; and firing ranges."

There is an OSHA standard (i.e., law) in place to protect against exposures to lead. That standard is the Lead Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1025. The lead standard states that an employer shall assure that no employee is exposed to lead at concentrations greater than fifty micrograms per cubic meter of air averaged over an 8-hour period. The standard also has an action level (the level at which the OSHA standard takes effect) of thirty micrograms per cubic meter of air averaged over an 8-hour period. This action level prompts some action per the standard. However, the actions are less stringent than what is required if levels reach the permissible fifty-microgram exposure limit.

Although an unlikely exposure hazard, soldering operations can produce detectable amounts of lead. In a recent company close-out with a small soldering operation, lead contamination was detected on the lab benches where the soldering occurred. Employee exposure was not suspected, but cleanup of the area was required. Surfaces were cleaned using isopropyl alcohol, followed by a vinegar and acidic detergent cleaning. The bench was then rinsed with water and dried using paper towels.

If you have lead in the workplace at levels equivalent to or greater than the action level set by OSHA, then you must comply with the OSHA Lead Standard. Compliance with this standard entails written programs, air monitoring plans and data, and good hygiene and housekeeping practices.

Contact Us  |  Back to Articles

Safety Partners efficiently and cost-effectively implements hands-on environmental, health, and safety (EHS) programs at emerging life sciences companies. Safety Partners tailors its programs to each client's unique science, processes, procedures, and facilities, while reducing program implementation burdens. Its expertise is unmatched, clocking over 85,000 hours at over 120 New England life sciences firms.