How to control lead risks
Who is responsible?
Lead is a highly toxic cumulative poison for which:
- manufacturers and importers must prepare, review, amend and provide Material Safety Data Sheets; and
- suppliers must provide the Material Safety Data Sheets and label lead containers.
Employers and self-employed persons must:
- Conduct a risk assessment, control and review control measures.
- Provide health surveillance by a designated doctor for workers in lead-risk jobs.
- Conduct atmospheric monitoring for lead-risk jobs.
- Temporarily remove anyone with high blood lead levels and exclude workers who are pregnant or breastfeeding or have a specific medical condition.
- Consult with workers on choosing a doctor.
- Maintain confidentiality of workers' medical records.
- Provide induction and training.
- Record information about lead exposure and training provided.
- Provide workers and workplace health and safety representatives with access to records.
- Notify Workplace Health and Safety Queensland in the approved form:
- notification of a lead-risk job (PDF, 140 KB)
- health surveillance report (PDF, 136 KB)
- summary of health surveillance reports (PDF, 224 KB).
Workers must:
- Participate in health surveillance.
- Tell the employer about a medical condition that may be adversely affected by exposure to lead.
- Tell the employer if pregnant and/or breastfeeding.
The lead audit checklist and the lead paint removal/residential buildings audit checklist will help identify the risks of working with lead.
More information about health effects of lead is available from:
- The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (non-Queensland Government link)
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