On May 5, 2025, the California Ministry of Industrial Education made an important announcement that concerns employers in the construction industry. Cal/Osha has clarified the guidelines for the prevention of lead exposure, which have been clarified specifically for the protection of employees when carrying out dry grinding rays during the execution of construction work.
The recently changed control standards in California for the construction industry took place on January 1, 2025 (California Codes of Regulations, Title 8, Section 1532.1) As part of a more comprehensive efforts to ensure greater protection from the health effects associated with lead exposure. These requirements, which are generally protective, than existing federal regulations, emphasize an increase in the use of protective measures, including substitution, technical controls and administrative controls.
According to Cal/Osha, employers have to rate their workers as lead if they carry out abrasive explosions. Until the employer has completed the assessment, the dry grinding jet is currently limited to five hours a day and dropped to two hours a day in 2030. There is no time limit after completing the evaluation, but the exposure must be below the permissible regulatory limit of 25 micrograms per cubic meter of air. From January 1, 2030, this limit will be 10 micrograms.
Cal/Osha indicates the employer in Table 1 of Section 5144 to determine respiratory protection factors. The use of respiratory protection can help manage lead exposure, but must be used correctly to be effective.