Cal/OSHA recently revised the lead safety standard for both general industry and construction, effective January 1, 2025. The tightened regulations will help workers stay safe on the job. The most notable change is in airborne lead exposure limits. The permissible exposure level (PEL) has been reduced to 10 ug/m3 and the action level (AL) to 2 ug/m3; both have been significantly lowered and trigger specific employer actions. If the action level is exceeded, employers must do further lead air monitoring, offer medical surveillance, and provide additional training. If the PEL is exceeded, employers must also provide employees with proper PPE and hygiene areas.
Other key changes to the lead regulation
- Implementation of interim protective measures. Set up interim protection measures for defined tasks until air monitoring is done.
- Lower blood lead levels (BLLs) intervention triggers. A BLL of 10 µg/dl now requires employers to conduct more frequent blood level testing, develop a written response plan to reduce the employee’s BLL, and provide proper training.
- Mandatory removal from work. Employees must be removed from specific tasks when their blood level reaches a lower threshold than before.
- Written lead compliance program. Employers are required to create a detailed program that describes engineering controls that keep exposures below the PEL and explanations if any aren't feasible. The plan must be reviewed and updated in writing every 6 months.
Cal/OSHA also released new regulations specific only to the general industry and the construction industry.
When employers apply the new requirements, workers will be protected from the health effects that even the smallest amount of lead can cause. Through proper implementation, California workers exposed to lead, and those around them, will have a lower risk of lead exposure now and in the future.