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U.S. Blood Lead Reduction Activities Outlook

U.S. Blood Lead Reduction Activities Outlook. Industrial Health Committee Co-Chair Battery Council International Troy A. Greiss June 19, 2013. Current U.S. OSHA Standard 1978. Permissible exposure limit (PEL) for employees ≤ 50 μ g/m 3 (using engineering controls, PPE and work practices)

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U.S. Blood Lead Reduction Activities Outlook

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  1. U.S. Blood Lead Reduction Activities Outlook Industrial Health Committee Co-Chair Battery Council International Troy A. Greiss June 19, 2013

  2. Current U.S. OSHA Standard1978 • Permissible exposure limit (PEL) for employees ≤ 50 μg/m3 (using engineering controls, PPE and work practices) • MRP ≥ 60 μg/dL single test with follow-up or ≥ 50 μg/dL average of last three tests (phased in 1983) • Return at ≤ 40 μg/dL across two consecutive tests

  3. Considerable New Findings Since 1978 in U.S. and Europe • Lead Industry produced EC Voluntary Risk Assessment for Lead (2008) • Final NTP report issued (2012) • New CDC Reference Value (2012)

  4. NTP Monograph on Health Effects of Low-Level Lead (June 2012) • Effects in Children and Adults due to Low Level Lead • “there is sufficient evidence for adverse health effects in children and adults at blood Pb levels <10 μg/dL, and <5 μg/dL as well.” • Did not directly address occupational exposures

  5. CDC Advisory Committee for Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention (January 2012) • Recommended “Reference Value” for Children • 5 μg/dL, equal to 97.5 percentile • Updated every 4 years • No longer using the “Level of Concern” framework • Will impact other standards which reference CDC’s recommendations

  6. OSHA-Industry Voluntary Blood Lead Reduction Agreement • U.S. industry has voluntary removal and return levels well below OSHA requirements • Five-year voluntary agreement (1997) • Reduced medical removal level to 40 µg/100g • Return rate reduced to 35 µg/100g • BCI members continue to implement

  7. New Blood Lead Reduction Targets • Following EU-U.S. industry coordination, the BCI Committees voted on June 11th to recommend BCI Board consideration of EUROBAT’s new blood lead reduction target of 30 µg/dL • EUROBAT’s blood lead reduction guidelines will not be referenced; how to meet the target will be up to each BCI member

  8. Current Cal OSHA Draft • Removal • Single test ≥ 30 µg/dL; OR • Two tests ≥ 20 µg/dL • Return • ≤ 15 µg/dL (two consecutive tests) • PEL recommendation expected late 2013

  9. Upcoming Cal OSHA Action • Cal/OSHA to combine MRP and PEL • OEHHA Pharmacokinetic White Paper on air-lead to blood lead relationship expected later this Summer • Will be basis for CDPH PEL recommendation • Next Steps • OEHHA submits modeling to CDPH (est. Q2 2013) • CDPH submits recommendations to Cal/OSHA (est. Q3/Q4 2013) • Cal/OSHA releases proposed rule (est. early 2014) • Cal/OSHA public meetings (est. early 2014) • Final Rule (UNKNOWN)

  10. BCI National Data2011 • Battery manufacturing industry data: • mean 12.7 • 97.6% < 30 µg/dL • 79.7% < 20 µg/dL • Secondary smelter data • mean 14.2 • 95.1% < 30 µg/dL • 74% < 20 µg/dL

  11. Particle Size Monitoring • Battery study done 2012 • Indicates significant presence of larger lead particles known to be less harmful • Smelter monitoring completed January 2013 • Five smelters • Data analysis in progress

  12. Thank You

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