To Lead Two industry organizations have voluntarily lowered lead exposure limits, reducing health hazards to thousands of American workers. This is exactly the type of initiative and cooperation we want to foster between OSHA and American business. Representatives of 33 companies, the vast majority of members of the two associations, have agreed to the program. The companies have 20,000 workers in such industries as battery manufacturing, lead smelting, lead chemicals, fabrication using lead, and solder manufacturing.
Lead poisoning can have reproductive and neurological effects on workers.
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Joseph A. Dear, who administers OSHA, said the program responds to OSHA's efforts to find ways of improving worker health through voluntary industry action. The industry groups will give OSHA annual data indicating the progress made by their members in achieving the target levels set forth in the proposal. It also will include the number of workers placed on medical removal during the reporting period, the number returned to work during the period, and a brief description of the lead operations performed by reported workers.