California Occupational Lead Exposure Surveillance
The occupational lead exposure surveillance program collects data on blood lead levels (BLLs) among workers in California. The data is used to monitor trends, identify high-risk industries, and inform public health interventions. It relies on mandatory reporting by laboratories of all adult BLLs drawn in California to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). This information forms the basis of the Occupational Blood Lead Registry.
OLPPP uses this surveillance data to:
- Identify cases requiring further investigation and follow-up.
- Determine the extent and distribution of occupational lead poisoning throughout the state.
- Target prevention activities towards high-risk employers and industries.
- Contribute de-identified BLL data to the national surveillance system, the Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program.
Assembly Bill 35 (AB 35)
Assembly Bill 35 (AB 35), signed into law in 2019, mandates that CDPH notify the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) when a worker’s blood lead level is reported at or above 20 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL). This threshold is considered injurious to the worker's health. Upon receiving such a report, Cal/OSHA must treat it as an official complaint of a serious violation and initiate an investigation at the workplace within three working days. Any citations or fines imposed as a result of these investigations are shared with OLPPP for analysis and are made publicly available annually.
This legislation aims to ensure prompt intervention and enforcement to protect workers from lead exposure. It is important to note that the 20 µg/dL threshold established by AB 35 for reporting and Cal/OSHA action does not supersede lower BLLs that may trigger employer obligations or investigations under existing Cal/OSHA regulations. In essence, AB 35 strengthens the occupational lead poisoning prevention framework in California by requiring a more direct and timely response to elevated worker blood lead levels, fostering greater accountability for employers in ensuring workplace safety.
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