The Health and Safety Executive’s lead exposure norms need to be reviewed and revised, according to an appeal made by the Construction Safety Campaign (CSC). This was the import of their latest annual general meeting concluded recently. The participants called for a total ban on lead and imports containing lead.

The lead issue gained momentum after a recent Hazards magazine report claimed that workers involved in demolition or salvage work on older buildings are at high risk of lead poisoning. This is because older buildings contain high concentration of lead in windows, paint, water pipes, roofing etc. When workers demolish or salvage these parts, they are subjected to lead poisoning and they develop serious health problems owing to this.

These adverse effects were found to occur even when exposure is within safe levels prescribed by HSE. Quoting examples of workers affected during work on a Scottish mansion and in a project in Liverpool, the National Secretary of CSC Tony O’Brien said that these cases clearly show that HSE regulations are falling short of the need.

O’Brien declared that HSE regulations have to be revised immediately to ensure that awareness about lead poisoning is heightened, so that new homes can be built with safer alternatives. He also emphasized on adequate protection for workers exposed to the material in homes already constructed using lead.

However, spokespersons for HSE said that its current norms are in keeping with the regulations prescribed in the European Union. At the same time, they declared that any new findings would be taken into consideration and studied deeply with a view to revising norms if required.

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