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Home›Courses›Hazardous Materials & HAZWOPER›Lead Exposure: Prevention and Response

Lead Exposure: Prevention and Response

28 minutesEN / ES / MLCCHazardous Materials & HAZWOPER29 CFR 1910.1025 (General Industry) / 29 CFR 1926.62 (Construction)
Quick Answer

Lead Exposure: Prevention and Response is a 28-minute online course that trains employees to understand workplace lead hazards, recognize routes of exposure, and follow prevention and response measures required by OSHA's lead standards (29 CFR 1910.1025 for general industry and 29 CFR 1926.62 for construction). It is designed for workers in construction, manufacturing, and maintenance who may encounter lead-containing materials and includes a downloadable certificate of completion.

Course Overview

Lead remains one of the most persistent occupational health hazards in the United States. Workers can be exposed to lead through renovation of older buildings, battery manufacturing, metal smelting, radiator repair, and demolition activities. OSHA's lead standards set a permissible exposure limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air as an 8-hour time-weighted average and an action level of 30 micrograms that triggers additional monitoring, medical surveillance, and protective measures. Lead exposure citations carry penalties of up to $16,550 for serious violations and $165,514 for willful violations, with additional costs for required medical removal protection.

This course prepares your employees to identify common sources of lead in the workplace, understand how lead enters the body through inhalation and ingestion, and follow the protective measures and hygiene practices that prevent lead accumulation. The training covers engineering controls, respiratory protection requirements, blood lead level monitoring, and the medical surveillance provisions that protect workers from the long-term health effects of lead exposure including kidney damage, neurological impairment, and reproductive harm.

What You'll Learn

  • Health effects of lead exposure including neurological, kidney, and reproductive damage
  • Common workplace sources of lead and primary routes of exposure (inhalation and ingestion)
  • OSHA permissible exposure limits and action levels under 29 CFR 1910.1025 and 1926.62
  • Engineering controls and work practices for reducing airborne lead concentrations
  • Respiratory protection requirements for lead work
  • Blood lead level monitoring, medical surveillance, and medical removal protection provisions
  • Personal hygiene practices that prevent lead ingestion including handwashing, changing clothes, and shower requirements

Who Needs This Training

  • Construction workers involved in renovation, repair, or demolition of pre-1978 buildings
  • Painters, abatement workers, and contractors performing lead paint removal
  • Battery manufacturing and recycling facility employees
  • Welders and metal fabricators working with lead-containing alloys or coatings
  • Maintenance workers who cut, grind, or sand surfaces that may contain lead
  • Supervisors and safety managers responsible for lead exposure monitoring programs

Regulatory Background

OSHA regulates occupational lead exposure under two standards: 29 CFR 1910.1025 for general industry and 29 CFR 1926.62 for construction. Both set a permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 50 micrograms per cubic meter as an 8-hour TWA and an action level of 30 micrograms that triggers exposure monitoring, medical surveillance, and employee training requirements. Employers must provide blood lead level testing, medical surveillance, and medical removal protection for workers whose blood lead levels reach specified thresholds. The construction standard includes trigger tasks such as manual demolition, abrasive blasting, and heat gun use on lead-containing materials that automatically require compliance with specific provisions. Lead citations can carry serious violation penalties of up to $16,550 per violation, and the medical removal protection provisions add significant cost when workers must be removed from lead-exposed duties with pay and benefits maintained.

Frequently Asked Questions

Both the general industry standard (29 CFR 1910.1025) and the construction standard (29 CFR 1926.62) set the PEL for lead at 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air as an 8-hour time-weighted average. The action level is 30 micrograms per cubic meter. When employee exposure reaches or exceeds the action level, employers must implement exposure monitoring, medical surveillance, and employee training. NIOSH recommends a more protective limit of less than 50 micrograms per deciliter in blood.
Under the general industry standard, medical surveillance is required for employees exposed to airborne lead at or above the action level of 30 micrograms per cubic meter for more than 30 days per year. In construction, initial blood lead level testing is required for any employee exposed above the action level. Ongoing monitoring includes blood sampling at least every 6 months for workers at or above the action level, with more frequent testing at higher exposure levels. Medical removal is triggered when blood lead levels reach 50 micrograms per deciliter in general industry or 50 micrograms in construction.
When an employee's blood lead level reaches the medical removal trigger (50 micrograms per deciliter in general industry), the employer must remove the employee from lead-exposed work and maintain their earnings, seniority, and benefits for up to 18 months or until the employee's blood lead level drops below the return criterion, whichever comes first. This provision can represent a significant cost to employers who fail to control lead exposure adequately.
Yes. The construction lead standard (29 CFR 1926.62) applies to all construction work where employees may be exposed to lead, including demolition, renovation, and repair of structures containing lead-based paint. The standard identifies specific trigger tasks - including manual demolition, abrasive blasting, welding, and torch cutting on lead-containing surfaces - that automatically require interim employee protection including respiratory protection and protective clothing while exposure assessment is being completed.
Online training can fulfill the knowledge-based components of OSHA's lead training requirements, including understanding health effects, exposure limits, hygiene practices, and monitoring provisions. However, employers must supplement with site-specific training on their particular lead sources, exposure controls, respiratory protection program, and medical surveillance procedures. For construction, training must also cover the specific trigger tasks and interim protection measures applicable to the work being performed.

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$29.95
per person
Volume Pricing
Team Size Price per Person
1 - 9$29.95
10 - 24$23.95
25 - 49$21.55
50 - 99$17.50
Subtotal $29.95
Language

This course is available in English, Spanish, and Multi-Language CC at no additional charge.

Certificate of completion included. Downloadable upon passing the final assessment.

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$29.95
per person