Working Safely with Lead
This document explains the health risks of working with lead, the responsibilities of employers, and the precautions workers should take to protect themselves.
Created: 11 June 2024
Last Reviewed: 11 October 2024
Contents
Introduction
Working with lead can seriously affect your health. This guide provides information on:
- Potential health problems from lead exposure
- Employer responsibilities for protecting worker health
- Necessary precautions for workers
When Are You Most at Risk?
You are most at risk when your work produces lead dust, fumes, or vapors. High-risk activities include:
- Blast removal and burning of old lead paint
- Stripping old lead paint from surfaces
- Hot cutting during demolition or dismantling
- Scrap processing, including recovering lead
- Lead-acid battery manufacturing and recycling
- Painting buildings and spray-painting vehicles
- Working with metallic lead and lead alloys (e.g., soldering)
- Lead smelting, refining, alloying, and casting
- Manufacturing and processing lead compounds
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