Construction

Lead hazards are addressed in specific standards for the construction industry.

OSHA Standards

This section highlights OSHA standards, preambles to final rules (background to final rules), Federal Registers (rules, proposed rules, and notices), directives (instructions for compliance officers), and standard interpretations (official letters of interpretation of the standards) related to lead.

Note: Twenty-five states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have OSHA-approved State Plans and have adopted their own standards and enforcement policies. For the most part, these States adopt standards that are identical to Federal OSHA. However, some States have adopted different standards applicable to this topic or may have different enforcement policies.

Construction Industry (29 CFR 1926)

• 1926 Subpart C, General safety and health provisions
• 1926.21, Safety training and education
• 1926.33, Access to employee exposure and medical records
  


• 1926 Subpart D, Occupational health and environmental controls
• 1926.51, Sanitation
• 1926.59, Hazard communication
• 1926.62, Lead
• Appendix A, Substance data sheet for occupational exposure to lead
• Appendix B, Employee standard summary
• Appendix C, Medical surveillance guidelines
  


• 1926 Subpart E, Personal protective and life saving equipment [related topic page]
• 1926.103, Respiratory protection

• For additional information on specific state plans or other general standards, see the general industry Lead Safety and Health Topics Page.

Preambles to Final Rules

• Lead Exposure in Construction (1993)
  


• Search all available preambles to final rules.

Federal Registers

• Standard on Lead in Construction; Extension of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of Information Collection (Paperwork) Requirements. Notice 70:61998-61999, (2005, October 27).
  


• Notice of a Regulatory Flexibility Act Review of Lead in Construction. Proposed Rule 70:50996-50997, (2005, August 29).
  


• Search all available Federal Registers.

Directives

• Lead Exposure in Construction; Interim Final Rule-- Inspection and Compliance Procedures. CPL 02-02-058 [CPL 2-2.58], (1993, December 13). Provides uniform inspection and compliance guidance for lead exposure in construction.
  


• Lead Exposure in Construction: Interim Rule. CSP 01-01-027 [STP 2-1.171], (1993, July 6). Describes a federal program change to the regions and state designees.
  


• Search all available directives.

Standard Interpretations

• Acceptability of rhodizonate-based spot test kits for determining the presence or absence of lead in paint coatings. (2003, July 18).
  


• Clarification of "as free as practicable" and lead contamination under 29 CFR 1926.62. (2003, January 13).
  


• Using X-ray fluorescence for analysis of lead in paint and applicability of other agencies lead levels. (1999, March 1). X-ray fluorescence is not an acceptable method to analyze samples for lead exposure.
  


• Additional Enforcement Policy Change for Respiratory Protection Required for Abrasive Blasting. (1997, March 31). Higher protection factors allowed for specific respirators when used in strict accord with manufacturer's specification.
  


• OSHA Lead Standards, both General Industry and Construction. (1997, March 18). Indicates inspectors moving from site to site is characteristic of construction, so the general industry standard for lead does not apply to lead inspectors and risk assessors who are not at a fixed location.
  


• Application of OSHA's health standards. (1996, July 15). The final interim rule for lead in construction, 29 CFR 1926.62(g)(2)(vi), requires the employer to notify the laundry service in writing that the personal protective equipment (PPE) may be contaminated with lead.
  


• OSHA's Interim Final Rule of Lead in Construction. (1996, April 16). Exposure assessments and respirator requirements.
  


• The biological monitoring requirements under the Final Rule for Lead. (1996, March 4).
  


• Shower requirements for the Lead in Construction Standard. (1995, September 5).
  


• Interim interpretation concerning Type-CE respirators used in abrasive blasting that are manufactured by the E.D. Bullard Company, Models 77 and 88. (1995, August 30). States that higher protection factors are allowed for specific respirators when used in strict accord with manufacturer's specification.
  


• Compliance with medical surveillance requirements for lead exposure during hazardous waste site operations. (1995, June 13).
  


• Employee notification as covered under 29 CFR 1926.26(d)(8)(i). (1995, April 4).
  


• Sampling for lead welding fumes. (1995, March 22).
  


• Request for interpretation of the final lead in construction. (1994, December 16).
  


• Search all available standard interpretations.
  

Health Effects

• For information on the health effects of lead, see the general industry Health Effects section.

Exposure Evaluation

The following references provide information regarding methods and means used to evaluate lead hazards.

• OSHA Technical Manual (OTM). OSHA Directive TED 01-00-015 [TED 1-0.15A], (1999, January 20).
• Lead-Related Construction Tasks and Their Presumed 8-hour TWA Exposure Levels
• Wipe Sampling Methodology
  


• Blood Lead Laboratories. OSHA. OSHA administers a program for approval of laboratories submitting data as required by the OSHA Lead Standard for construction, 29 CFR 1926.62. Employers who are required to perform biological monitoring for blood lead must use an OSHA-approved blood lead laboratory for analysis.
  


• Lead. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Workplace Safety and Health Topic.

Hazards and Solutions

The following references provide possible solutions in controlling and preventing lead hazards in the workplace.

• 29 CFR 1926.62, Lead. OSHA Standard.
  • Appendix C, Medical surveillance guidelines. Contains a detailed description of medical effects.
    
  
  
• OSHA Technical Manual (OTM). OSHA Directive TED 01-00-015 [TED 1-0.15A], (1999, January 20).
• Controlling Lead Exposures in the Construction Industry: Engineering and Work Practice Controls
  


• OSHA Lead in Construction Advisor 1.0. OSHA Expert System, (1999, September). Interactive expert software intended to help users, especially small business, to understand OSHA's lead in construction standard.
  


• Construction - Pocket Guide. OSHA Publication 3252-05N, (2005). Also available as a 285 KB PDF, 36 pages.
  


• Lead in Construction [488 KB PDF^*, 40 pages]. OSHA Publication 3142-09R, (2004).
  


• Protecting Workers from Lead Hazards [21 KB PDF^*, 2 pages]. OSHA Fact Sheet, (2005, September).
  


• For additional information, see OSHA's Safety and Health Topics Pages on:
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - Construction

Additional Information

Related Safety and Health Topics Pages

• Construction Industry

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