Lead Awareness
Key Learning Objectives
Health Hazards of Lead Exposure: Understanding how lead can affect health, including risks of inhalation and ingestion, and its impact on organs such as the kidneys, nervous system, and blood.
Exposure Pathways: Identifying how lead can enter the body (e.g., inhalation, ingestion) and the long-term effects of chronic exposure.
OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL): Information on the allowable limits for lead exposure.
Recognizing Lead-Containing Materials: Learning to identify sources of lead in the workplace, such as paints, solder, pipes, and certain construction materials.
Safe Work Practices and Hygiene: Guidelines on how to reduce exposure, including personal hygiene, use of appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment), and decontamination procedures.
Engineering and Administrative Controls: Understanding the types of controls and safe practices employers must implement to minimize lead exposure.
Medical Surveillance and Health Monitoring: Requirements for health monitoring programs, particularly for workers exposed to higher levels of lead.
Training Goal
OSHA’s lead standards can be found in 29 CFR 1910.1025 for general industry and 29 CFR 1926.62 for construction. Lead Awareness training itself is not a substitute for more comprehensive training and protective measures if workers are involved in tasks with high lead exposure.