Module 3: Toxicology - Section 12: Heavy Metals

OHM12.X: Lead - Part 12

LEGISLATION:

Lead Regulations, 2001

The lead regulations in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 apply to all employers and self-employed people at workplace where lead is produced, processed, used, handled or stored in a form in which it can be inhaled, ingested or absorbed. The regulations cover among others the need for worker information and training, assessment of potential exposures, air monitoring, demarcation of respirator zones and medical surveillance. The OEL for TEL lead is 0.10mg per cubic meter of air and for lead other than TEL is 0,15mg per cubic meter of air.

All employers must inform and train workers on the scope of the legislation, their risks, preventive measures, medical surveillance etc before they are exposed to lead. One should note that such exposure limits have several limitations as regards worker protection. Firstly these levels have been developed for lead dust exposure and may not be sufficient to protect workers from lead fume exposure these concentrations given the much higher bioavailability of lead fume. It should be noted that there are hypersusceptible populations both for absorbtion and for clinical effects. Personal behaviors and hygiene, for example cigarette smoking and eating in the workplace may dramatically affect hand to mouth exposure. These levels are also not adequate to protect children exposed to the workplace either directly or in a working mothers' womb. Lastly, using sensitive indeces of neurologic function one can measure alterations in nerve conduction velocity and cognitive functions of workers with blood levels which may be expected at these exposure limits.

Workers who are exposed to lead must also take special precautions in terms of the legislation. This includes reporting for medical surveillance and using the appropriate PPE when needed.

Air monitoring is required where the exposure levels of lead is in excess of half of the OEL. Records on the medical surveillance, industrial hygiene assessments and training information must be kept for forty years.

Special precautions have to be taken with regard disposal and transport of lead.

Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Health (DOH) - Modules 3: Occupational Medicine & Toxicology (Basic) by Profs Mohamed Jeebhay and Rodney Ehrlich, Health Sciences UCT is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 South Africa License. Major contributors: Mohamed Jeebhay, Rodney Ehrlich, Jonny Myers, Leslie London, Sophie Kisting, Rajen Naidoo, Saloshni Naidoo. Source available from here. For any updates to the material, or more permissions beyond the scope of this license, please email healthoer@uct.ac.za or visit www.healthedu.uct.ac.za. Last updated Jan 2007.
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