In 2024/25, 4,712 workers in Great Britain were under lead medical surveillance and 26 reached the blood-lead action level — and the limits that define “too much” are about to be cut sharply. The key UK occupational lead statistics, fully sourced.
Lead is one of the oldest recognised occupational poisons, and it is still monitored more closely than almost any other workplace substance. This page gathers the key UK figures in one place: how many workers are under medical surveillance, how many exceed the blood-lead action and suspension levels, which trades carry the most risk, and how the exposure limits are about to change. The numbers come from HSE’s annual Exposure to Lead in Great Britain statistics (the medical-surveillance series required under the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002), HSE’s lead guidance on action and suspension levels, and HSE’s 2026 consultation proposing much lower blood-lead thresholds from 2027 and 2029.
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.
These are the latest published figures available as of July 2026, drawn from the 2024/25 edition of HSE’s Exposure to Lead in Great Britain. This page is refreshed when HSE republishes the series each year, and on each regulatory step — the consultation outcome, the 2027 cut and the 2029 cut.
How many UK workers are exposed to lead at work?
4,712 workers in Great Britain were under lead medical surveillance in 2024/25, according to HSE’s Exposure to Lead in Great Britain statistics. Medical surveillance is legally required under the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002 (CLAW) for anyone whose work is liable to expose them to significant amounts of lead, so this figure is the best national count of people meaningfully exposed to lead on the job — not an estimate, but an actual register of monitored workers.
The workforce is overwhelmingly male: 4,469 (95%) of those under surveillance were men and 243 (5%) were women in 2024/25. A small number of young people are also monitored — 11 young males under 18 were under lead medical surveillance in 2024/25. Because surveillance only captures workers whose employers have identified significant exposure and enrolled them, the true number of people who encounter some lead at work — for example during occasional maintenance or renovation — is larger than the surveillance count.
| 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?
The current blood-lead action level for most employees is 50µg/dl, with lower thresholds for more vulnerable groups. Under CLAW 2002, blood-lead is measured in micrograms per decilitre (µg/dl); HSE’s statistics report uses the equivalent unit µg/100ml — the two are the same measurement. When a worker’s blood-lead reaches the action level, the employer must investigate the exposure and take steps to reduce it; when it reaches the higher suspension level, the worker must be removed from lead work until their blood-lead falls back to a safe level.
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 |
Lower thresholds apply to women of reproductive capacity because lead crosses the placenta and can harm a developing baby, and to young people because their nervous systems are still developing. Against these limits, the 2024/25 picture is reassuring on the surface — only 26 men reached the 50µg/100ml action level and no women reached their 25µg/100ml action level — but the whole point of the incoming reforms is that the thresholds themselves are considered too high.
What is the workplace air limit for lead?
The occupational exposure limit for lead in air is 0.15 mg/m³ measured over an 8-hour day. This is the airborne concentration ceiling set under CLAW 2002, and it works alongside the blood-lead monitoring rather than replacing it: air sampling tells you what workers are breathing, while blood tests tell you how much lead has actually been absorbed into the body.
HSE also defines when exposure becomes “significant” and so triggers the full weight of the regulations, including medical surveillance. Exposure counts as significant once airborne lead exceeds half the air limit — above roughly 0.075 mg/m³ (75µg/m³) — or where there is a risk of ingesting lead, or where skin contact with certain lead compounds (such as some lead alkyls) can occur. In practice, the trigger for enrolling a worker in medical surveillance is this “significant exposure” test, which is why the surveillance register is a good proxy for genuinely lead-exposed work.
At what blood-lead level does lead start to cause harm?
Recognised health effects begin to appear above about 40µg/dl of blood-lead, according to HSE’s guidance on the health effects of lead — including blood changes and anaemia, effects on the nervous system, and impacts on the kidneys and on fertility. HSE also notes that raised blood pressure has been reported in middle-aged men at blood-lead levels around 30µg/dl, below the current general action level. This is a large part of the scientific case for cutting the limits: the thresholds set in 2002 sit above levels at which some harm is now thought to occur.
Lead is a cumulative poison — it is stored in bone and released slowly — so the concern is not only acute high exposures but the long-term burden of years of lower-level exposure. That is why medical surveillance under CLAW tracks blood-lead over time rather than relying on a single reading, and why the action level is deliberately set below the level at which serious clinical effects occur, to give time to intervene.
How are the lead limits changing in 2027 and 2029?
HSE has proposed cutting the general blood-lead action level from 50µg/dl to 20µg/dl by October 2027, and then to 10µg/dl by October 2029. The suspension level for most employees would fall in step, from 60µg/dl to 30µg/dl by October 2027 and then to 15µg/dl by October 2029. These proposals came out of HSE’s review of the CLAW 2002 exposure values, reflecting the modern evidence that lead causes harm at lower blood concentrations than the 2002 limits assume. (Figures in this section are drawn from HSE’s consultation as reported by the American Industrial Hygiene Association, whose summary sets out the exact proposed thresholds.)
The proposals also tighten the lower-tier limits. The action level for employees capable of conceiving would fall from 25µg/dl to 10µg/dl by October 2027, and the under-18 action level would fall from 40µg/dl to 20µg/dl in October 2027 and then to 10µg/dl in October 2029.
| 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 — those capable of conceiving | 25µg/dl | 10µg/dl | 10µg/dl |
| Action level — under-18s | 40µg/dl | 20µg/dl | 10µg/dl |
HSE’s consultation on lowering these values ran from 30 March to 7 June 2026. The practical effect, if the changes are confirmed, is significant: a blood-lead reading of, say, 22µg/dl passes comfortably under the current 50µg/dl action level but would breach the proposed 20µg/dl level from 2027. Many workers currently recorded as well within limits would sit above the action level under the new numbers, so employers in lead trades should expect more action-level investigations and greater pressure to reduce exposure at source, not just monitor it.
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.
The processes HSE flags as carrying the highest risk include:
- Lead smelting, refining and casting — high-temperature work that generates lead fume
- Lead-acid battery manufacture and recycling — one of the largest single sources of occupational lead
- 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 is regulated by its own set of rules — the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002 — rather than directly by COSHH. COSHH 2002 explicitly excludes lead (and asbestos) from its scope because each has a dedicated regime, but the underlying logic is the same: identify the hazard, assess the risk, control exposure at source, and monitor health. For most workplaces, lead sits alongside the broader family of substances hazardous to health that are covered by COSHH, and the same risk-assessment and control-hierarchy discipline applies.
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?
In 2024/25, 4,712 workers in Great Britain were under lead medical surveillance under the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002 — 4,469 men (95%) and 243 women (5%), including 11 young males under 18. That surveillance register is the best national count of workers with significant lead exposure, though the number who encounter some lead occasionally at work is larger.
What are the blood-lead action and suspension levels under CLAW?
The current action levels are 50µg/dl for general employees, 25µg/dl for women of reproductive capacity and 40µg/dl for under-18s. The suspension levels are 60µg/dl, 30µg/dl and 50µg/dl respectively. Reaching the action level triggers an investigation; reaching the suspension level means the worker must be taken off lead work until their blood-lead falls.
How are the lead limits changing in 2027 and 2029?
HSE has proposed cutting the general action level from 50µg/dl to 20µg/dl by October 2027 and to 10µg/dl by October 2029, with the suspension level for most employees falling from 60µg/dl to 30µg/dl then 15µg/dl. The action level for those capable of conceiving would drop to 10µg/dl by 2027, and the under-18 action level to 20µg/dl (2027) then 10µg/dl (2029). HSE consulted on the changes between 30 March and 7 June 2026.
Which jobs have the highest risk of lead exposure in the UK?
HSE names lead smelting, refining and casting; lead-acid battery manufacture and recycling; blast-removal or burning of old lead paint; hot cutting in demolition; and work with metallic lead and lead alloys. Work with metallic lead and alloys accounted for the most males under surveillance across 2022/23–2024/25. Roofing and heritage leadwork and indoor firing ranges are also recognised exposure settings.
Is lead covered by COSHH?
No — lead has its own regime, the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002, and is specifically excluded from COSHH (as is asbestos). The approach is closely related, though: assess the risk, control exposure at source, monitor health and train workers. Lead sits alongside the wider family of hazardous substances that employers must manage.
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 — Statistics: Exposure to Lead in Great Britain
- HSE / GOV.UK — Exposure to lead in Great Britain (statistics release)
- HSE — Health effects from exposure to lead (air limit and suspension levels)
- HSE — Significant exposure and blood-lead action levels
- HSE — When are you most at risk? (at-risk lead trades and processes)
- HSE — Consultation: Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002 exposure values
- AIHA — HSE Seeks Feedback on Proposed Changes to UK Lead Regulation
Make sure your team understands how lead and other hazardous substances are controlled at work — and what the tightening limits mean.
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Mark writes about workplace health & safety, COSHH and accredited online training for COSHH Training, part of Online CPD Academy.