Action level means employee exposure, without regard to the use of respirators, to an airborne concentration of lead of 30 micrograms per cubic meter of air (30 ug/m3) calculated as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA).
What is a toxic level of lead?
Current standards define a lead blood level of 10 mcg/dL in the as being toxic in children. In adults, a level of 25 mcg/dL is considered toxic. Any level of lead can have toxic manifestations, and all health care practitioners should become familiar with the signs, symptoms, and treatment of lead poisoning.
What does OSHA require if employees may be exposed to lead?
Your employer is required to provide an information and training program for all employees exposed to lead above the action level or who may suffer skin or eye irritation from lead compounds such as lead arsenate or lead azide. Your employer is required to keep all records of exposure monitoring for airborne lead.
What is the limit for lead?
The NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) for lead is a Time Weighted Average of 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air (µg/m3) over 8-hours. The required (OSHA) Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for lead is also no greater than 50 µg/m3 averaged over an 8-hour period.
What is the most common way lead enters the body?
Lead enters the body primarily through inhalation and ingestion. Today, adults are mainly exposed to lead by breathing in lead-containing dust and fumes at work, or from hobbies that involve lead. Lead passes through the lungs into the blood where it can harm many of the body’s organ systems.
What method does OSHA recommend for monitoring employees lead exposure?
Under OSHA’s medical surveillance guidelines, a lead exposure monitoring program consists of periodic blood sampling and medical evaluation “to be performed on a schedule which is defined by previous laboratory results, worker complaints or concerns, and the clinical assessment of the examining physician.”
What is the most common route of lead absorption into the body?
Ingestion is the primary pathway of exposure for lead, especially amongst children. Children’s hand to mouth behavior is the most common cause of this phenomenon. Approximately 10-70% of ingested lead is absorbed by the body (~50% in children and ~10% for adults).
