A CONSULTATION on a proposed lowering of lead-exposure limits for employees has been extended, following criticism from the stained-glass industry.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), a government body, has moved the deadline back to 7 June.
Isabelle Davies, conservator at the Stained Glass Museum at Ely Cathedral, told the Church Times: “There is a risk of wiping out conservation and restoration work overnight.”
The HSE had suggested halving the blood-lead-level from 60 micrograms per decilitre (mcg/dl) to 30mcg by October next year, before reducing it to 15mcg/dl in 2029.
Under the proposals, this would be further reduced for women, who are classed as of “reproductive capacity” if under the age of 50, from the current 30mcg/dl to 7.5mcg/dl by October next year.
In cases when the limit is passed, staff would be required to stop working until their lead levels reduce, the proposals outlined.
Last week, the British Society of Master Glass Painters told The Times that an 80-per-cent reduction of exposure within four years would be “unachievable in many cases” and “catastrophic”.
An HSE spokesperson said of the ongoing Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002 consultation: “These regulations have not been reviewed in over 20 years, and it is now known that health outcomes can be improved through lower levels of exposure to lead.
“We are consulting with stakeholders so we can better understand the impact of these proposed changes in the working environment before making any final recommendations for reform.”
Ms Davies said: “It’s good to be reassessing the regulations on lead, and they haven’t been reassessed for a long time, but the way they’ve been written has completely ignored heritage crafts like stained glass.”
She explained that she had had her lead levels measured for the first time after working with stained glass for about a month, and her lead level was already 5mcg/dl “after not much exposure”.
She continued: “These proposals really haven’t taken into account the background lead levels in the environment that contribute to the general population’s baseline lead levels.
“The proposed levels are so low that they risk placing many people, especially women and long-serving workers, on leave overnight. Stained glass workshops are generally very small — no business can afford to put at least half their workforce on leave, or rearrange work patterns immediately.
“A high proportion of stained-glass conservators are women; so who is going to be out there looking out for Britain’s stained-glass heritage? In the future, what company is going to want to hire women in particular if they will likely be suspended from work? This legislation will be in direct opposition to anti-discrimination legislation. Stained glass is already on Heritage Crafts’ Red List of Endangered Crafts; so losing experienced workers, who can do the work and pass on the skills, as a result of these proposals, will be very serious.
“People need to be working with lead. There is so much in historic buildings that requires care and maintenance. There are a lot of different areas which require lead work — stained glass, roofing, water systems, decorative works. This legislation will reduce the amount of people that are able to work in it, and businesses that can afford it.
“Obviously, it’s very serious to make sure people stay healthy, but lead levels can be kept low safely and practicably while working with the right ventilation, extraction systems, filtering masks, as well as good hygiene practices. But these regulations aren’t promoting those practices.”
The Institute of Conservation (ICON) has also expressed concerns over the proposals, and encouraged stakeholders to take advantage of the extension of the consultation. “We strongly encourage conservators, heritage professionals, employers, educators, and others working with historic materials, to take advantage of the extended consultation period and share their views with HSE,” the group said on Thursday.