Preventing harmful lead exposure
To be sure any lead process you carry out is safe, you need to work out the ways in which employees could be exposed to lead as part of their work.
Identifying lead-risk tasks
The amount of lead entering the body is likely to increase the longer and more often an employee is exposed to lead-containing dust, fumes or mist.
You should consider:
- information obtained about the lead-containing substance or lead process
- the quantities of lead used
- how long and how often an employee is working in the lead process
- whether employees are working directly with the substance or could come into contact with contaminated surfaces
- employee health records
If you are uncertain about the level of exposure, you should carry out atmospheric monitoring. This will provide information about the amount of lead in the air that could be breathed in by your workers.
The most effective way of measuring the amount of lead actually absorbed by an employee is biological monitoring. This measures the amount of lead in a person’s body from both inhalation and ingestion.
If work in a lead process is reasonably likely to cause blood lead levels to exceed 0.48 µmol/L for female employees of reproductive capacity, or 1.45 µmol/L for all other employees, you need to identify the task as a lead-risk job.
Controlling lead exposure risks
Work through the following list to control any risks associated with exposure to lead. In many instances, a combination of approaches will be the best solution.
1. Eliminate the cause of the risk
The best option is to eliminate the lead substance or process completely, so you should always try to do this first.
Example: Use aluminium radiators with plastic tanks rather than copper-core car radiators with soldered tanks.
2. Use a safer substance or a safer form of lead, use engineering controls or isolate the lead process from people
If you can’t remove the hazard, think about changing the equipment or processes that are used.
Example: Use a lead-based glaze in a water slurry form instead of a powder form to reduce the generation of lead dust.
3. Use administrative controls or personal protective equipment
If you can’t change the equipment or processes, try to change the way the work is done.
Example: Implement an employee rotation system to reduce the amount of time each worker is exposed.
Other preventative measures
There are further measures you should take to control the risks associated with the use of lead in your workplace.
Some examples include:
- confining the lead to the area where the process is being carried out by doing things such as enclosing lead waste in containers and using ventilation systems with collection units
- regularly cleaning all lead process areas by using a vacuum cleaner fitted with a HEPA filter or by using wet cleaning methods (such as mopping and wet wiping)
- providing an eating and drinking area that cannot be contaminated by lead
- providing changing and washing facilities
- arranging for laundering of protective clothing that has been contaminated by lead dust.
Exposure standards
You also need to ensure employees are not exposed to lead in excess of the exposure standard. Atmospheric and biological monitoring help you determine the risk.
Atmospheric monitoring is required if there is any uncertainty as to weather the exposure standard may be exceeded, or if it is necessary in determining whether there is a risk to health.