In 2024/25, 4,712 workers in Great Britain were reported under lead medical surveillance and 26 males had blood lead at or above 50 µg/100ml. HSE consulted in 2026 on lower thresholds; the proposed future values are not current legal limits.
This guide brings together HSE’s Great Britain lead-surveillance statistics, current Control of Lead at Work requirements and the 2026 consultation proposals. Surveillance counts describe reported monitored workers, rather than everyone who encounters lead at work. Current legal values and proposed changes are shown separately.
Key facts and figures
- 4,712 workers in Great Britain were under lead medical surveillance in 2024/25.
- 4,469 (95%) of those under surveillance were male and 243 (5%) female in 2024/25.
- 26 male workers recorded a blood-lead level at or above the 50µg/100ml action level in 2024/25.
- 2 lead workers were suspended from work in 2024/25 because of excess blood-lead, both male.
- 0 female workers reached the 25µg/100ml action level for women in 2024/25.
- 0.15 mg/m³ is the workplace air limit for lead (8-hour average) under CLAW 2002.
- 50 → 20 → 10µg/dl is the proposed path for the general blood-lead action level, by Oct 2027 then Oct 2029.
- 30 Mar–7 Jun 2026 — the window in which HSE consulted on lowering the CLAW exposure values.
Checked on 15 October 2026. The latest HSE surveillance series covers 2024/25. The consultation closed on 7 June 2026; its proposed October 2027 and 2029 changes remain proposals in the source checked, not confirmed commencement dates.
How many UK workers are exposed to lead at work?
HSE reports 4,712 workers under lead medical surveillance in Great Britain in 2024/25. Surveillance is required where exposure is or is liable to be significant, and in other specified circumstances. The series is compiled from appointed doctors’ returns; it is not a census of every worker exposed to any amount of lead and should not be described as a complete register of all exposed workers.
Of those reported under surveillance, 4,469 were male and 243 female, approximately 95% and 5%. The workbook includes 12 workers under 18: 11 males and 1 female. People encountering lead outside this surveillance population are not captured by these totals.
| Measure | Figure | Data period |
|---|---|---|
| Workers under lead medical surveillance | 4,712 | 2024/25 |
| Male workers under surveillance | 4,469 (95%) | 2024/25 |
| Female workers under surveillance | 243 (5%) | 2024/25 |
| Young males (under 18) under surveillance | 11 | 2024/25 |
| Males at/above the 50µg/100ml action level | 26 | 2024/25 |
| Females at/above the 25µg/100ml action level | 0 | 2024/25 |
| Workers suspended for excess blood-lead | 2 (both male) | 2024/25 |
What are the blood-lead action and suspension levels under CLAW?
Current blood-lead action levels are 50 µg/dl for general employees, 25 µg/dl for women of reproductive capacity and 40 µg/dl for under-18s. A decilitre is 100 ml. Reaching an action level requires investigation and measures to reduce exposure. Suspension and return to lead work involve the appointed doctor and the Regulations; a lower test result alone is not permission to resume exposure.
The current thresholds are set at three tiers to reflect differing sensitivity to lead:
| Worker group | Action level | Suspension level |
|---|---|---|
| General employees | 50µg/dl | 60µg/dl |
| Women of reproductive capacity | 25µg/dl | 30µg/dl |
| Young workers (under 18) | 40µg/dl | 50µg/dl |
The lower thresholds for women of reproductive capacity and young workers reflect additional vulnerability. The 26 males at or above 50 µg/100ml and no females at or above 25 µg/100ml describe the monitored 2024/25 population. Being below an action level does not establish that exposure is harmless or adequately controlled.
What is the workplace air limit for lead?
The occupational exposure limit for lead in air is 0.15 mg/m³ as an eight-hour time-weighted average under CLAW. It is not an instantaneous ceiling. Air monitoring assesses inhalation exposure, while biological monitoring helps assess absorption, including through other relevant routes. Neither replaces prevention or adequate control.
HSE identifies significant exposure where airborne lead is liable to exceed half the occupational limit, or where there is a substantial risk of ingestion, or skin contact with lead alkyls or another substance containing lead in a form that can be absorbed through the skin. Medical surveillance is also required in other specified circumstances. The test should not be reduced to an air measurement alone.
At what blood-lead level does lead start to cause harm?
There is no single blood-lead value below which all health effects can be ruled out. Lead can affect the nervous system, kidneys, blood and reproduction. HSE’s 2026 consultation reviews evidence of effects at levels below the existing general action level; those legal thresholds must not be presented as the point at which harm first begins.
Lead can accumulate in the body, including bone. Exposure control and appropriate medical surveillance are therefore important over time. Action and suspension levels are regulatory intervention thresholds, not guarantees of safety. The appointed doctor determines fitness for relevant work under the applicable requirements.
What lower lead limits did HSE propose for 2027 and 2029?
The 2026 consultation proposed a general action level of 20 µg/dl and suspension level of 30 µg/dl from 1 October 2027, followed by 10 and 15 µg/dl respectively from 1 October 2029. These are the proposal dates and values in HSE’s consultation document, not changes already in force or confirmed future law.
For women of reproductive capacity, HSE proposed an action level of 5 µg/dl and suspension level of 7.5 µg/dl from 1 October 2027. For young workers outside that category, it proposed aligning the action and suspension levels with the general employee timetable. The consultation did not propose changing the lead-in-air limit at this stage.
| Threshold | Current | Proposed by Oct 2027 | Proposed by Oct 2029 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Action level — general employees | 50µg/dl | 20µg/dl | 10µg/dl |
| Suspension level — most employees | 60µg/dl | 30µg/dl | 15µg/dl |
| Action level — women of reproductive capacity | 25µg/dl | 5 µg/dl | 5 µg/dl |
| Action level — under-18s | 40µg/dl | 20µg/dl | 10µg/dl |
The consultation ran from 30 March to 7 June 2026. HSE states that proposals may be refined following responses and any legislative changes require wider Government agreement. For example, 22 µg/dl is below the current general action level but above the proposed 20 µg/dl value; neither comparison is a statement that the exposure is safe.
Which jobs have the highest risk of lead exposure in the UK?
Work with metallic lead and lead-containing alloys accounted for the highest number of males under medical surveillance across 2022/23 to 2024/25, according to HSE’s process breakdown, while “other lead processes” accounted for the most females over the same three years. Lead exposure is concentrated in a fairly stable set of trades where the metal is heated, cut, abraded or handled in bulk.
Examples of work that can create significant lead exposure include:
- Lead smelting, refining and casting — high-temperature work that generates lead fume
- Lead-acid battery manufacture and recycling — exposure depends on the process and controls
- Blast-removal or burning of old lead paint — releasing lead dust and fume during renovation and refurbishment
- Hot cutting in demolition — cutting through lead-painted or lead-bearing steelwork
- Working with metallic lead and lead alloys — including solder, sheet lead and leaded components
Beyond HSE’s named list, roofing and heritage leadwork, plumbing on older buildings, and indoor firing ranges (where primer and bullet fragments generate airborne lead) are recognised exposure settings. The common thread is a physical or thermal process that turns solid lead into inhalable dust or fume, or into a residue that can be swallowed via unwashed hands — which is why the regulations emphasise washing facilities and a ban on eating and drinking in lead areas alongside the medical monitoring.
How does lead fit within COSHH and the wider regime?
Lead risks are governed by the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002. COSHH excludes lead to the extent that CLAW applies; this is a qualified legal exclusion rather than a statement that every mixed hazard in a lead workplace is outside COSHH. Identify all relevant substances, activities and regulatory duties.
If you are mapping where lead sits relative to the general hazardous-substances regime, our COSHH statistics overview keeps the headline regime totals, and what substances are covered by COSHH explains which materials fall under COSHH and which — like lead and asbestos — have their own regulations. Employers whose staff work with lead should treat CLAW medical surveillance, exposure control and training as a single system, not a box-ticking blood test.
Frequently asked questions
How many UK workers are exposed to lead at work?
HSE reports 4,712 workers under lead medical surveillance in Great Britain in 2024/25: 4,469 male and 243 female. The workbook includes 12 under-18s, comprising 11 males and 1 female. This is the reported surveillance population, not everyone who encounters lead at work.
What are the blood-lead action and suspension levels under CLAW?
Current action levels are 50 µg/dl generally, 25 µg/dl for women of reproductive capacity and 40 µg/dl for under-18s. Corresponding suspension levels are 60, 30 and 50 µg/dl. Investigation, suspension and return to work must follow the Regulations and appointed doctor’s decisions; the thresholds do not define harmless exposure.
What lower lead limits did HSE propose for 2027 and 2029?
HSE proposed general action levels of 20 µg/dl in October 2027 and 10 µg/dl in October 2029, with suspension levels of 30 and 15 µg/dl. For women of reproductive capacity it proposed 5 µg/dl action and 7.5 µg/dl suspension from October 2027. These remained consultation proposals in the source checked on 15 October 2026.
Which jobs have the highest risk of lead exposure in the UK?
Potential exposure occurs in smelting, battery manufacture and recycling, lead paint removal, hot cutting and work with metallic lead or alloys. HSE’s surveillance counts describe monitored processes, not a measured ranking of individual risk. Assess the actual work, exposure routes and controls.
Is lead covered by COSHH?
COSHH excludes lead to the extent that the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002 apply. CLAW requires assessment, exposure control and relevant monitoring and medical surveillance. Other substances or hazards in the same workplace can still fall under COSHH.
Related guides
- COSHH Statistics UK: Hazardous Substances at Work
- Silica Dust Statistics UK: Exposure, Silicosis & Deaths
- Occupational Dermatitis Statistics UK: Work-Related Skin Disease
- What Substances Are Covered by COSHH? (And What Isn’t)
- How to Carry Out a COSHH Risk Assessment
Sources & references
- HSE: Exposure to Lead, 2024/25
- HSE: lead surveillance data tables, 2024/25
- HSE: lead health effects and current limits
- HSE: significant lead exposure and action levels
- HSE: work with lead exposure risks
- HSE: 2026 lead consultation and primary consultation document
- Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002
- COSHH Regulation 5: application and exclusions
Make sure your team understands how lead and other hazardous substances are controlled at work — and what the tightening limits mean.
Explore the COSHH Training course →
Mark writes about workplace health & safety, COSHH and accredited online training for COSHH Training, part of Online CPD Academy.