This article in our Hazard Watch series examines employer legal obligations on lead exposure, and how Tetra Tech’s biological monitoring and workplace lead analysis help employers detect and control exposure and protect worker’s health.
The impact of lead
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the national independent regulator for health and safety in the workplace, over 5,000 lead workers in the UK were under surveillance to monitor their exposure to lead levels in 2023 out of which 13 employees were suspended from work for exceeding such limits.
The HSE sets workplace exposure limits to protect worker’s health by ensuring employers implement measures to reduce risks. The HSE reveals more details about exposure to workplace contaminants in their EH40 publication. The Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002 (CLAW) also confirms that employers in the UK are safeguarding their staff to prevent or control their exposure to lead.
How exposure occurs
There are several ways Employees can be exposed. If the air a workforce breathes contains high levels of lead dust, fume or lead vapour, these toxins may be absorbed through the lungs. During a workday, an employee may potentially be exposed by accidentally ingesting lead, smoking, poor hygiene, and drinking contaminated liquids.
The occupational exposure limits for blood lead suspension levels for men is 60 microgames per decilitre (ug/dl) and 30 ug/dl for women. However, some reports suggest that blood lead suspension levels over 40 ug/dl may cause health complications. Some of the most common health consequences of exposure are kidney disease, nervous system complications, anaemia, heart disease, brain damage, and cancer risks. A blood suspension level of 30 ug/dl, alone, can lead to high blood pressure.
How to address and prevent lead exposure
To ensure that lead contamination is not reaching hazardous levels, blood or urine tests should be carried out to ensure employees are within safe limits and to prevent the advent of serious health conditions such as anaemia, kidney disease, and certain cancers. Biological monitoring provides a way of assessing a person’s exposure to chemicals in the workplace.
Employers are legally required to observe the workplace exposure limits for all chemicals and compounds listed in the Health and Safety Executive’s EH40 publication. Many industries and companies are at an increased risk of their employees being exposed to lead such as in construction and manufacturing plants that manage lead or products containing lead.
Susceptible companies
Several other types of companies exposing their workforce to dangerous levels of lead may include:
- Paint removal companies
- Battery manufacturing factories
- Waste metal processing plants
- Smelting, refining, alloying, and casting plants
- Paint manufacturing plants
- Soldering companies
- Vehicle spray painting companies
- Factories that recycle televisions, computer monitors and other electronic appliances that contain cathode ray tubes (CRTs)
How Tetra Tech can help
At Tetra Tech, we are deeply passionate about our work. We have dedicated workplace lead exposure analysis experts ready to support our clients.