Lead Exposure in General Industry

Lead Exposure in General Industry Program provides employees with the information they need to understand lead hazards and the safety regulations that address them. Lead is poisonous. If it’s taken into the body, it can cause serious health problems and even be fatal. Most people who are exposed to lead today are exposed on the job. OSHA estimates that more than 800,000 U.S. workers work around lead regularly. Employees can be exposed to lead while sanding and stripping lead-based paint, welding or cutting painted metal, repairing and servicing automobile brakes, manufacturing ceramics or electronics, smelting or casting metals and performing numerous other tasks. The program includes information on the health effects of lead exposure, the OSHA Lead Standards for General Industry, compliance programs, risk assessment and monitoring, PPE and respiratory protection, housekeeping and decontamination, medical surveillance and removal, and more.