Lead toolbox talk
Read it out at the pre-start or a toolbox meeting, talk through the questions, and have everyone sign on. It's built from our lead page and the 111 SafetyDocs templates that cover it.
- Site
- Date
- Presented by
What it is
Lead in old paint, dust, solder, pipes or batteries that can be breathed in or swallowed when work disturbs it.
Controls to check, most effective first
- Test suspect paint and material for lead before work, and assume old paint contains lead until it is tested.
- Choose methods that do not create lead dust, such as chemical stripping or wet scraping, and never dry sand, burn off or abrasive blast lead paint.
- Use on-tool extraction connected to a vacuum rated for hazardous dust, and clean up with wet methods rather than dry sweeping.
- Isolate the work area and keep other people out, and tell occupants and neighbours about the work.
- Set up a decontamination area, and wash hands and face before eating, drinking or smoking, and before leaving the site.
- Wear disposable coveralls and a fit-tested respirator suited to lead dust, bag lead waste and dispose of it at an approved facility.
Questions for the crew
- Where could lead come up on this job today?
- The most effective control is: “Test suspect paint and material for lead before work, and assume old paint contains lead until it is tested”. Can we do that here? If not, why not?
- Which controls for lead are missing or not working on this site?
- When would you stop work because of lead, and who would you tell?
- How do we report a hazard, a near miss or an incident on this job?
Sign-on record
Everyone who attended signs below. Keep it with your toolbox talk records.
| Name | Company | Signature |
|---|---|---|
A starting point for a talk, not a SWMS or a risk assessment. Add what's particular to your site and crew.