L&I’s lead rules will affect some retailers
For the past few years, Labor and Industries has been revising its rules on Lead (Pb) to incorporate all businesses. Washington Retail has been participating in this significant rule change and sharing comments with L&I during input sessions.
A fourth draft of new lead rules is expected for release this spring. Washington Retail will share a copy of the latest draft of the rule and encourages retailers to review it at that time. Please express your concerns or questions to Rick Means, WR’s Director of Safety and Education. You can reach Rick at 360-200-6454 or [email protected].
To summarize, this is how the rule will affect you based upon information to date:
- Working with any of the following materials is potentially covered by the scope of the rule:
- Lead containing coatings (paint, lacquer, varnish, and so forth)
- Suspect coatings
- Facility/structure constructed prior to 1978
- Corrosion protection coatings
- Structural metal
- Maritime
- Lead containing products
- Lead shot or ingots
- Ammunition (including in powder-actuated tool)
- Fishing sinkers
- Solder
- Mortar
- Lead containing alloys
- Lead grout
- Smelting and casting
- Slag
- Precious metals
- Wallpaper
- Other materials that may contain lead
- Contaminated soils
- Older pesticides and pesticide residue
- When a retailer determines that their work environment and materials in use are covered by the new rule, retail employers who follow the Safe Harbor Provision (under WAC 296-857-50010 of the draft) will be considered in compliance with the rule for tasks covered.
- Exposure will trigger Action Rules per this chart below provided by L&I
Additional documents: Key Changes 2pgs; Full Draft 66pgs; a chart showing which rule relates to each area of the pictorial map below.
Please feel free to contact Rick Means for more details on this topic.