California Expected to Adopt Lower Acceptable Blood Lead Level for Workers by 2020

The state of California is expected to revise its lead exposure standard for workers after passing a bill setting a deadline for a new standard, according to Lexology. The bill requires the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) to "revise the lead standards for purposes of general industry safety orders and construction safety orders."

Specifically, the bill’s objective is to ensure the lead standard “protects the health and safety of employees who engage in lead-related construction work and meets all requirements imposed by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.”

Cal/OSHA has been working to revise the lead standard since 2016 when it first proposed a reduction in the permissible exposure limits for airborne lead from 50 micrograms per cubic meter to 10 micrograms per cubic meter, calculated over an 8-hour, time-weighted average.

Cal/OSHA will likely propose a lead standard to the board that contains the lower airborne exposure limit of 10 micrograms per cubic meter, calculated over an 8-hour, time-weighted average.

Should California revise its acceptable blood lead level for workers, it would be the second such state to make adjustments to its standards. Michigan lowered its acceptable blood lead levels work workers in 2018.