Powered by Google logoTranslate

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

About OSHA A to Z Index Contact Us FAQs What's New English | Spanish

Blood Lead Laboratories

Current Evaluation Protocol

[Last Updated: 09/19/2016]

Programs Evaluated

  • CAP: College of American Pathologists
  • NYS: New York State Department of Health
  • WSLH: Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene

Surveys Evaluated

  • CAP: 2015 BL-C to 2016 BL-B
  • NYS: 2015, Event #3 to 2016, Event #2
  • WSLH: Event 2015-3 to Event 2016-2

Evaluation Period

12 months or equivalent time period

  • CAP: 3 surveys
  • NYS: 3 surveys
  • WSLH: 3 surveys

When new survey results are received, drop the oldest survey results and add the newest survey results to determine current status.

Evaluation Criteria

89% (or greater) acceptable sample results

  • CAP: 14 out of 15 acceptable
  • NYS: 14 out of 15 acceptable
  • WSLH: 14 out of 15 acceptable

Individual sample results are acceptable if they are within 6 µg/dL of the target value (or all-method mean) if that value is less than 40 µg/dL; or within 15% of the target (or all-method mean) if that value is greater than 40 µg/dL. ALL proficiency test (PT) samples are evaluated by OSHA.

For the CAP, WSLH and NYS surveys, OSHA will also approve laboratories that achieve 89% in the prior 4 surveys (which is approximately 12 months).

Laboratories are evaluated based on the program they have requested. CAP sends results to OSHA only at the request of the laboratory. NYS and WSLH send all results to OSHA, but coded by a laboratory code number. Laboratories must contact both OSHA and the PT program organization to be evaluated based on the NYS or WSLH program.

OSHA approval is now available to participants in the le Centre de Toxicologie du Quebec (CTQ) program. Contact OSHA and the CTQ for more information.

OSHA Limits for CAP Surveys

OSHA will evaluate ALL PT samples without regard to laboratory agreement with the consensus value. The CAP target value and acceptable limits for the current evaluation (Survey BL-C 2015 through Survey BL-B 2016) are listed below:

CAP Sample Number

Target Value (µg/dL)

OSHA Limits (µg/dL)
BL-11 9.958 3.9-16.0
BL-12 20.684 14.6-26.7
BL-13 12.171 6.1-18.2
BL-14 5.303 0.0-11.4
BL-15 6.697 0.6-12.7
BL-1 2016 0.862 0.0-6.9
BL-2 6.766 0.7-12.8
BL-3 14.728 8.7-20.8
BL-4 28.652 22.6-34.7
BL-5 3.165 0.0-9.2
BL-6 5.500 0.0-11.5
BL-7 12.188 6.1-18.2
BL-8 9.412 3.4-15.5
BL-9 14.918 8.9-21.0
BL-10 2015 19.879 13.8-25.9
Back to Top

Thank You for Visiting Our Website

You are exiting the Department of Labor's Web server.

The Department of Labor does not endorse, takes no responsibility for, and exercises no control over the linked organization or its views, or contents, nor does it vouch for the accuracy or accessibility of the information contained on the destination server. The Department of Labor also cannot authorize the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked Web sites. Users must request such authorization from the sponsor of the linked Web site. Thank you for visiting our site. Please click the button below to continue.

Close