Work involving lead and lead compounds

What is the risk?

Young people aged 16 years and above are not at any greater risk from exposure to lead and its compounds than anyone else. You can only identify the specific risk through a risk assessment of the particular circumstances under which there is exposure to lead or its compounds in your workplace. You should bear in mind that young people may not appreciate the dangers to their health and that they may not understand or follow instructions properly because of their immaturity.

Lead and its inorganic compounds are known to produce various biological effects in humans, depending on the exposure level. These range from:

• minor biochemical changes in the blood, which are unlikely to have adverse health consequences; to
• severe irreversible or life-threatening disruption of body processes, in particular the nervous system, the blood-forming system and the kidneys.

There are also concerns about the effects of lead on the quality of semen and on the unborn child.

The toxic effects of lead alkyls give rise to symptoms including agitation, insomnia, dizziness, tremors and delirium, which can progress to mania, coma and death. These symptoms are accompanied by nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

How to avoid the risk

You must pay special attention to the requirements of the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002 (CLAW) for providing young people with:

• information, instruction and training;
• proper supervision within a safe system of work.

You must not employ young people for work in certain lead processes :

Lead smelting and refining processes

• work involving the handling, treatment, sintering, smelting or refining of ores or materials containing not less than 5% lead; and

Lead-acid battery manufacturing processes

• the manipulation of lead oxides;
• mixing or pasting in connection with the manufacture or repair of lead-acid batteries;
• the melting or casting of lead;
• the trimming, abrading or cutting of pasted plates in connection with the manufacture or repair of lead-acid batteries.

You cannot employ young people to clean any place where any of the above processes are carried out.

The Regulations require you to ensure that the exposure of young people to lead and its compounds is adequately controlled. For example, where the exposure to lead is significant, you must ensure that employees under the age of 18 years are under medical surveillance, and that their blood is monitored every three months for levels of lead.

If the action level is reached or exceeded, but is below the suspension level (40 µg/dl for young men or 25 µg/dl for young women), you must investigate why this has happened and take steps to reduce their exposure so that their blood lead falls below the action level.

If the level reaches 50 µg/dl for young men or 30 µg/dl for young women (the suspension level), you must remove them from any work which exposes them to lead until their blood level drops below 50 µg/dl/30 µg/dl respectively. (The lower suspension level for female employees is aimed at protecting any foetus which might be developing. Pregnant women are not always aware of their pregnancy in the early stages.)

Further reading

• Lead and you

Relevant legislation

• Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002