Subpart D
The permissible exposure limit (PEL) for lead is 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air (50 μg/m3) averaged over an 8-hour workday (an 8-hour time-weighted average). This PEL is stated in 1926.62 App B and represents the highest allowable 8‑hour average airborne lead concentration to which an employee may be exposed.
The action level for lead is 30 μg/m3 averaged over an 8-hour day, and the employer must determine whether any employee's exposure exceeds this level and set up monitoring if a reasonable possibility exists that exposures are above it. 1926.62 App B explains that the employer must perform an initial exposure determination (or rely on objective data) to decide if monitoring or further controls are required.
When an employee works more than 8 hours in a day, the standard uses a formula to reduce the permissible exposure so that the 8‑hour equivalent is maintained (for example, a 10-hour day reduces the maximum permitted average to 40 μg/m3). 1926.62 App B describes this approach to account for extended work schedules.
Yes — an employer may use objective data that conclusively demonstrates no employee will be exposed above the action level instead of initial personal monitoring, but must keep accurate records documenting the relevancy of that data to current job conditions. 1926.62 App B explains acceptable sources of objective data and the recordkeeping requirements.
No — the employer does not have to monitor every employee but must monitor a representative number of employees and job types reasonably expected to have the highest exposures, using enough sampling to represent each employee's full shift. 1926.62 App B outlines that sampling must reflect normal, daily work conditions and may use prior suitable sampling from the past 12 months when applicable.
Your employer must notify you in writing within 5 working days of the monitoring results that represent your exposure, and if your exposure exceeds the PEL (without regard to respirators) the notice must include the corrective actions taken or planned. 1926.62 App B sets this notification requirement.
If your exposure is at or above the action level but below the PEL, your employer must recheck exposure at least every six months. If exposures are at or over the PEL, monitoring must be repeated every three months until two consecutive measurements (taken at least 7 days apart) are below the PEL but above the action level; then monitoring can shift to every six months and may be discontinued only after measurements drop to or below the action level. 1926.62 App B explains these frequencies and the conditions to discontinue monitoring.
Any change in equipment, processes, controls, personnel, or the addition of a new job that may result in new or additional lead exposure requires additional monitoring. 1926.62 App B instructs employers to re-evaluate exposures whenever workplace conditions change in ways that could affect lead exposure.
An employer must develop and implement a written compliance program before starting any job where employee exposures may reach the PEL as an 8‑hour TWA. 1926.62 App B lists required elements such as descriptions of operations, engineering/control plans, job responsibilities, and means to achieve compliance.
If job rotation is used to reduce employee lead exposure, the job rotation schedule must be included in the compliance plan, along with details on protective clothing, housekeeping, hygiene practices, and any engineering controls used. 1926.62 App B requires the plan to be available upon request to affected employees and reviewed at least every 6 months.
The employer must provide and assure use of respirators when exposures cannot be reduced below the PEL by engineering and work-practice controls, and the employer must pay for respirators. 1926.62 App B and 1926.62(f) require employer-provided respiratory protection and payment for the equipment.
Yes — the employer must provide a respirator upon your request even if your measured exposure is below the PEL (for example, for medical or reproductive concerns). 1926.62 App B explains this requirement and references the Respiratory Protection standard 1910.134 for program elements.
Respirators must be selected according to 1926.62(f)(3) and the referenced portions of 1910.134; any respirator chosen must be NIOSH‑approved under 42 CFR Part 84. 1926.62 App B emphasizes the need to match respirator protection to airborne lead concentrations and allows employers to provide more protective devices (e.g., PAPRs) where appropriate.
The employer must provide either qualitative or quantitative fit testing as specified in Appendix A of 1910.134 and must train employees on respirator use, limitations, cleaning, and maintenance. 1926.62 App B references these Respiratory Protection program requirements and requires medical evaluation if the worker has difficulty breathing during fit testing or use.
If you are exposed above the PEL (without regard to respirator use) or to skin‑irritating lead compounds, the employer must provide appropriate protective work clothing and equipment at no cost, and if clothing is provided it must be clean and dry at least weekly — or daily if airborne exposure exceeds 200 μg/m3. 1926.62 App B and 1926.62(g) cover these requirements.
The employer must assure good work practices and provide housekeeping and hygiene measures appropriate to the hazard, such as changing and laundering protective clothing, providing change areas and hand washing facilities, and preventing take‑home contamination. 1926.62 App B describes these employer responsibilities and the types of protective clothing and hygiene practices to be used.
When objective data or previous monitoring is used in lieu of current sampling, the employer must establish and maintain an accurate record documenting the relevancy of that data to current job conditions; the standard requires recordkeeping but the Appendix stresses that records must show applicability to current conditions. See 1926.62 App B for the documentation requirement and 1926.62(f) for monitoring program elements.
Workers must change into work clothing and put on protective gear, including respirators, in the clean section of designated changing areas before entering the lead work area.
These hygiene and changing-room practices are described in Appendix B to 1926.62 and are part of the employer’s obligations under 1926.62(i).
When leaving the lead work area for a break, workers should HEPA-vacuum heavily contaminated protective clothing while still wearing it, remove shoe covers in the work area, then remove protective clothing and respirators in the dirty section of the changing area, and wash hands and face.
These steps are recommended in Appendix B to 1926.62 and support compliance with the hygiene provisions in 1926.62(i).
At the end of the day, workers must additionally ensure disposable coveralls/shoe covers are placed with abatement waste (where applicable), place contaminated clothing for laundering or disposal in closed containers, clean protective gear, and shower and wash hair if facilities are available.
These end-of-day hygiene steps are described in Appendix B to 1926.62 and are intended to prevent take-home contamination under the requirements in 1926.62(i).
Employers must maintain surfaces as free as practicable of lead dust, using HEPA-equipped vacuuming as the preferred method and generally prohibiting compressed air and dry sweeping unless equally effective methods fail.
This housekeeping requirement appears in 1926.62(h) and is explained in Appendix B to 1926.62.
When airborne lead exposures exceed the PEL, employers must provide hand-washing facilities, change areas, showers (where feasible), and lunchrooms or eating areas, and must prohibit food, beverages, tobacco, and cosmetics outside those areas.
These facility and practice requirements are described in 1926.62(i) and elaborated in Appendix B to 1926.62.
No—workers may not enter lunchrooms or eating areas wearing protective clothing or equipment unless surface dust has been removed by vacuuming, a downdraft booth, or another effective cleaning method.
This prohibition and the cleaning requirement are explained in Appendix B to 1926.62 and relate to the hygiene provisions in 1926.62(i).
Full medical surveillance must be made available to employees who are or may be exposed above the action level for more than 30 days a year and whose blood lead level exceeds 40 µg/dl; the employer’s obligation is triggered by the results of air monitoring and blood lead testing.
These medical-surveillance triggers and requirements are set out in 1926.62(j) and explained in Appendix B to 1926.62.
Employers must provide blood lead level (BLL) testing and zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) testing, with monitoring at least every 2 months for the first 6 months and every 6 months thereafter until BLLs are below 40 µg/dl; more frequent testing is required if BLLs exceed 40 µg/dl.
These testing and frequency requirements are described in 1926.62(j) and summarized in Appendix B to 1926.62.
If a worker’s confirmed blood lead level exceeds 50 µg/dl, the employer must provide temporary medical removal with economic protection and make follow-up BLL testing available; removal and protections are required under the standard.
See 1926.62(j), 1926.62(k), and the explanation in Appendix B to 1926.62.
When a worker’s blood lead level (BLL) exceeds 40 µg/dl, the employer must notify the employee in writing within five working days of receiving the test results.
This notification and required actions are described in 1926.62(j) and explained in Appendix B to 1926.62.
Pre-assignment and annual medical examinations must include a detailed work and medical history, a thorough physical exam (including pulmonary evaluation if respirators are used), blood pressure, and laboratory tests checking blood chemistry and kidney function.
These specific medical-exam content requirements are set out in 1926.62(j) and explained in Appendix B to 1926.62.
No—workers must not wear required protective clothing or equipment home after showering; contaminated items must be removed in the change area and not taken home because this can spread lead to family and home environments.
These prohibitions and reasons are explained in Appendix B to 1926.62 and implement the hygiene requirements in 1926.62(i).
Contaminated clothing and gear to be laundered or disposed of must be placed in closed containers in the change room, and heavily contaminated clothing should be HEPA-vacuumed while still worn; respirators and protective gear must be cleaned by standard procedures.
These handling and storage steps are required or recommended in Appendix B to 1926.62 and relate to the hygiene and change-room provisions in 1926.62(i).
The employer must provide the physician with the lead standard and appendices, a description of the worker’s duties and exposure or anticipated exposure levels, personal protective equipment used, prior blood lead test results, and prior written medical opinions the employer has.
This list of information the employer must supply to the physician is specified in 1926.62(j) and explained in Appendix B to 1926.62.
The physician’s written report must state whether the worker has any medical condition that increases risk of material impairment from lead, recommend any special protective measures, report any blood lead determinations, and note any limitations on respirator use (including whether a PAPR is appropriate).
These required report elements are described in 1926.62(j) and elaborated in Appendix B to 1926.62.
No—OSHA’s lead standard prohibits prophylactic chelation of any employee by any person the employer retains, supervises, or controls.
This prohibition is explained in Appendix B to 1926.62 in the medical surveillance discussion tied to 1926.62(j).
Prophylactic chelation is the routine use of chelating drugs to prevent or routinely lower blood lead levels, and it is not allowed. The Appendix explains that giving chelating or similarly acting drugs solely to reduce a worker’s blood lead level (even if done by a physician or in a hospital) will generally be considered prophylactic chelation and is unacceptable under 1926.62AppB.
No — sending an asymptomatic worker for chelation solely to lower blood lead levels is considered prophylactic chelation and is prohibited. The Appendix states that routine chelation to prevent increased or to lower current blood lead levels is unacceptable regardless of whether it is done inside or outside a hospital, or by a physician (1926.62AppB).
MRP can be triggered by an elevated blood lead level or a physician’s medical opinion, and benefits can last up to 18 months or for as long as the removed job lasts. The Appendix explains that temporary removal can result from either an elevated blood lead level or a medical opinion and that protection is provided for up to 18 months or for the duration of the removed job (1926.62(k)).
While on MRP, the employer must maintain the worker’s earnings, seniority, and other rights and benefits, and provide appropriate follow-up medical surveillance. The Appendix specifies that MRP means temporary removal to a place of significantly lower exposure without loss of earnings, seniority, or other employment rights or benefits, and that removed employees must receive appropriate follow-up medical surveillance (1926.62(k)).
No — respirators cannot be used as a substitute for medical removal when removal is required by the standard. The Appendix explicitly states that respirators may be used before removal becomes necessary, but not as an alternative to transfer to a low-exposure job or a layoff with MRP benefits (1926.62(k); 1926.62(l)).
If a physician issues a final written opinion recommending removal or special protective measures, the employer must implement the physician’s recommendation and may return the employee only when the doctor indicates it is safe. The Appendix states the employer must follow the physician’s final written recommendations, and returned employees may only go back when the physician says it's safe (1926.62(k)).
Employees exposed to lead above the action level or who may suffer skin or eye irritation from lead compounds must be trained before initial assignment and at least annually thereafter unless further exposure above the action level will not occur. The Appendix explains this requirement and states training must be provided prior to initial assignment and at least annually while exposures continue above the action level (1926.62(m); 1926.62AppB).
The training must cover the specific hazards of the work, protective measures (including the compliance plan), the danger of lead to the body (including reproductive effects), and employee rights under the standard. The Appendix lists these required training topics and emphasizes training on hazards and protections in the employee’s work environment (1926.62(m); 1926.62AppB).
When exposure to lead is above the PEL, the employer must post a warning sign that reads: “DANGER LEAD WORK AREA MAY DAMAGE FERTILITY OR THE UNBORN CHILD CAUSES DAMAGE TO THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DO NOT EAT, DRINK OR SMOKE IN THIS AREA.” The Appendix specifies this required legend and notes a previous alternative legend allowed prior to June 1, 2016 (1926.62; 1926.62AppB).
Employers must retain all exposure monitoring records for at least 30 years and medical records (other than blood lead levels when applicable) for the duration of employment plus 30 years. The Appendix states air monitoring records must include employee names, job classification, sampling details, results, and respirator type, and must be kept for at least 30 years; medical records must be preserved for the duration of employment plus 30 years (1926.62(n); 1926.62AppB).
When an employee is temporarily removed under MRP, the employer must keep a medical removal record that includes the employee’s name, dates of removal and return, how removal was accomplished, and whether removal was for an elevated blood lead level; that record must be kept for the duration of the employee’s employment. The Appendix states these specific elements for MRP recordkeeping and that each medical removal record is retained only for as long as the employee remains employed (1926.62(n); 1926.62AppB).
Employees have the right to see or copy environmental monitoring, blood lead, and medical removal records, and employers must provide them to an authorized representative; unions only have access to personal medical records if the employee authorizes it. The Appendix states these records must be made available to the employee or an authorized representative and that a union may access records only with the employee’s specific authorization (1926.62(n); 1926.62AppB).
Yes — employees or their designated representatives may act as observers during air monitoring, and employers must explain the measurement procedure, allow recording of results, and provide any required personal protective equipment. The Appendix explains that observers are entitled to an explanation of the procedure, may record results (and receive the lab results later), and must be provided and required to wear any PPE required for employees in the monitored area (1926.62(o); 1926.62AppB).
Yes — if an employer voluntarily removes a worker from lead exposure for medical reasons, MRP benefits must be provided as though removal were required by the standard. The Appendix explicitly states that voluntary removals due to the effects of lead on a worker’s medical condition trigger MRP benefits in the same way mandatory removals do (1926.62AppB).