New Cal/OSHA Lead Standards to Safeguard Workers Set to Begin Next Month

Earlier this year, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) announced that proposed amendments to the agency’s Lead Standards T8 CCR sections 5198, 5155, and 5132.1., had been approved. The updated regulations will be enforceable beginning January 1, 2025.

Through these actions, California aims to significantly reduce workers’ risk of lead poisoning by enforcing lower exposure thresholds and emphasizing workplace cleanliness. The updated lead standards introduce stricter regulations for general industry and construction, and include:

1. New Definitions for Lead Work
The revised rules introduce Presumed Hazardous Lead Work (PHLW):

• Includes activities like welding, melting, shredding, or disturbing materials containing over 0.5% lead by weight.
• Any unassessed lead-related task is presumed hazardous until proven otherwise through exposure assessments.

2. Lower Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs)

• The PEL has been reduced from 50 µg/m³ to 10 µg/m³ (8-hour time-weighted average).
• Action Levels (ALs) are now set at 2 µg/m³, a significant reduction from the previous 30 µg/m³.

3. Enhanced Medical Surveillance

• Employers must monitor employees’ Blood Lead Levels (BLLs) regularly:
  
  1. Removal from lead work is triggered at 30 µg/dL (previously 50 µg/dL).
  2. Starting in 2026, workers are removed if their BLL averages 20 µg/dL over six months or for two consecutive readings.
  
  

4. Mandatory Hygiene and Signage

• Strict hygiene protocols are required in all workplaces with lead exposure, not just those exceeding the PEL. This includes:
  
  1. Cleaning eating areas and changing rooms to prevent lead contamination.
  2. Prohibiting food, beverages, tobacco, and cosmetics in lead-exposed areas.
  
  
• Warning signs must be prominently displayed in areas exceeding the Action Level.

5. Industry-Specific Exceptions

• Industries like lead-acid battery manufacturing receive phased timelines for compliance with the new PEL but must meet interim safety standards.

The industrial hygiene, environmental, and building science professionals at CSC are here to help California employers meet these new standards through consulting, inspection, testing, and training services. As other states and industries may follow, adopting stricter measures to protect their workers from hazardous exposures, CSC’s lead experts already offer these resources nationwide.

To learn more about lead or other industrial hygiene, environmental, health, and safety services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com, or call 800-807-1118.

About Clark Seif Clark, Inc. (CSC)
CSC was established in 1996 to help clients in both public and private sectors address indoor air quality, occupational, and environmental, health, and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers, and real estate professionals.

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Paul Cochrane

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Cochrane & Associates, LLC

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