California lowers lead exposure limits
California amended its general-industry and construction lead standards effective January 1, 2025, generally lowering the eight-hour permissible exposure limit to 10 µg/m³ and action level to 2 µg/m³. Some provisions have later dates, and construction abrasive blasting has a temporary limit exception through the start of 2030.
Construction abrasive blasting has a temporary 25 µg/m³ limit until January 1, 2030. Process-specific and respirator-adjusted provisions require the full applicable standard.
- Legal status
- Effective with staged provisions
- Source check
- Sep 17, 2026
- Topic
- Lead
- Technical review
- Jiaxi · 2026-09-23
What changed
Previous requirement
Earlier standards used higher permissible exposure limits and action levels. Historical numerical values have not been independently verified for this finding.
New requirement or current position
Airborne PEL generally 10 microgram/m3 and action level 2 microgram/m3, both 8-hour TWA, with additional task protections, surveillance and controls. Construction abrasive blasting has a temporary 25 microgram/m3 8-hour TWA PEL exception until January 1, 2030 under section 1532.1(c)(1).
Who it affects
- Construction
- Battery manufacture/recycling
- Metalwork
- Lead processing
Dates and milestones
Commencement and compliance dates can differ. Read the conditions beside each date, including any stay or local adoption requirement.
- Announcement or publication
- Feb 15, 2024
- Recorded effective date
- Jan 1, 2025
Covered general industry and construction
Main amendments effective.
Specified hygiene and medical-removal provisions
See sections 5198(i),(k) and construction standard.
Selected lead-acid battery processes
Lower process-specific SECALs; respirator-adjusted PEL remains separate.
Construction employees conducting abrasive blasting
Temporary 25 microgram/m3 PEL exception ends; general 10 microgram/m3 PEL applies. Separate from general-industry battery-process SECAL changes.
Selected exposure values
These values need the scope, limit type and averaging period shown below. A proposed or advisory value is not a binding limit.
Lead
10 µg/m³| Averaging period | 8-hour TWA |
|---|---|
| Limit type | PEL |
| Scope | California general industry and construction; construction abrasive blasting has a temporary 25 microgram/m3 exception until January 1, 2030 |
Lead
2 µg/m³| Averaging period | 8-hour TWA |
|---|---|
| Limit type | Action level |
| Scope | California general industry and construction, applicable scope |
Lead
25 µg/m³| Averaging period | 8-hour TWA |
|---|---|
| Limit type | Temporary PEL exception |
| Scope | California construction employees conducting abrasive blasting, until January 1, 2030, section 1532.1(c)(1) |
What this could mean for your IH program
Advisory interpretation: Version California limit sets separately from federal OSHA. Encode the temporary construction abrasive-blasting PEL exception by task and date. General-industry SECALs concern engineering controls and must not be displayed as the universal PEL.
Confirm applicability with a qualified practitioner before changing your program.
Questions and qualifications
- General-industry scope excludes construction and agriculture; construction covered separately. Detailed SECAL process mapping not encoded.
- Construction abrasive blasting has a temporary PEL exception distinct from general-industry SECALs. Section 1532.1(c)(2) conditions govern respirator-adjusted exposure; do not compare unadjusted samples without the full control and assessment context.
Source evidence
- Title 8 section 5198: Lead
California DIR / Cal/OSHA · (b), (c), (e)(1)(C), (i), (k)(1)
PEL 10 microgram/m3, action level 2 microgram/m3; 2026 hygiene and medical-removal phases; process-specific SECALs are not a replacement PEL.
- Occupational Lead Exposure Prevention
Cal/OSHA · Opening paragraphs
Standards Board approval February 15, 2024; general-industry and construction amendments effective January 1, 2025.
- Construction Lead Standard: executive summary
Cal/OSHA · May 2025, pp.1-3
Confirms construction PEL 10 microgram/m3 and action level 2 microgram/m3, trigger-task protections, medical-removal changes and phased hygiene provisions.
- Title 8 section 1532.1: Lead in construction
California DIR / Cal/OSHA · (b); (c)(1) exception; (c)(2); (d)(2)(E)7
Construction PEL generally 10 microgram/m3, with abrasive-blasting 25 microgram/m3 exception until January 1, 2030; action level 2 microgram/m3. Separate interim protection rule changes dry abrasive-blasting duration after January 1, 2030.
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