Under Cal/OSHA lead regulations for construction, at what airborne lead concentration must medical surveillance be provided to employees?
Correct Answer
B) 30 μg/m³ for 30 days
Cal/OSHA Section 1532.1 requires medical surveillance when employees are exposed to airborne lead at or above 30 μg/m³ for more than 30 days per year.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Cal/OSHA Section 1532.1 establishes the Action Level (AL) for lead in construction at 30 μg/m³ as an 8-hour time-weighted average. When employee exposures meet or exceed the AL for more than 30 days per year, the employer must provide medical surveillance (biological monitoring including blood lead testing). This threshold is separate from—and lower than—the PEL of 50 μg/m³.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: 50 μg/m³ for 30 days
50 μg/m³ for 30 days describes the PEL threshold, not the medical surveillance trigger. The PEL triggers mandatory respiratory protection and other engineering controls, but medical surveillance kicks in at the lower Action Level of 30 μg/m³.
Option C: 100 μg/m³ for 15 days
100 μg/m³ for 15 days is not a threshold recognized by the Cal/OSHA lead standard. It may sound plausible because it combines a very high concentration with a shorter time period, but neither figure corresponds to a regulatory trigger in Section 1532.1.
Option D: 15 μg/m³ for 30 days
15 μg/m³ for 30 days is below the Action Level and is not a regulatory threshold in the Cal/OSHA lead standard. No medical surveillance obligation is triggered at this concentration under current rules.
Memory Technique
Remember the 30/30 rule for medical surveillance: 30 μg/m³ for more than 30 days per year. Both numbers are 30. When you see '30 days,' think Action Level = 30 μg/m³.
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