Inorganic Lead Medical Surveillance Policy

INTRODUCTION

In addition to implementing engineering controls, procedural measures and respiratory protection to monitor and limit workers’ exposure to inorganic lead (which is far more common than organic lead), you need to have a program to do medical monitoring and blood testing of exposed workers before they’re placed in positions involving risk of exposure, periodically, after acute exposures and after they leave the position involving exposure. The Model Policy below covers each stage of the medical surveillance process, describes the testing to be done and sets out the criteria, i.e., testing results that should trigger a worker’s removal from the position. Make sure you adapt it to your own situation and the requirements of your province (especially the Section dealing with Record Keeping which comes from Ontario law.) And while it addresses inorganic lead, this Policy can be easily adapted for organic lead and other ‘designated substances’ for which medical surveillance is required.