Western Australian Current Regulations

WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY ( GENERAL ) REGULATIONS 2022 - REG 392

392 .         Meaning of lead process

                In this Part, a lead process consists of any of the following carried out at a workplace —

            (a)         work that exposes a person to lead dust or lead fumes arising from the manufacture or handling of dry lead compounds;

            (b)         work in connection with the manufacture, assembly, handling or repair of, or parts of, batteries containing lead that involves the manipulation of dry lead compounds, or pasting or casting lead;

            (c)         breaking up or dismantling batteries containing lead, or sorting, packing and handling plates or other parts containing lead that are removed or recovered from the batteries;

            (d)         spraying molten lead metal or alloys containing more than 5% by weight of lead metal;

            (e)         melting or casting lead alloys containing more than 5% by weight of lead metal in which the temperature of the molten material exceeds 450°C;

            (f)         recovering lead from its ores, oxides or other compounds by thermal reduction process;

            (g)         dry machine grinding, discing, buffing or cutting by power tools alloys containing more than 5% by weight of lead metal;

            (h)         machine sanding or buffing surfaces coated with paint containing more than 1% by dry weight of lead;

                  (i)         a process by which electric arc, oxyacetylene, oxy gas, plasma arc or a flame is applied for welding, cutting or cleaning, to the surface of metal coated with lead or paint containing more than 1% by dry weight of lead metal;

            (j)         radiator repairs that may cause exposure to lead dust or lead fumes;

            (k)         fire assays if lead, lead compounds or lead alloys are used;

            (l)         hand grinding and finishing lead or alloys containing more than 50% by dry weight of lead;

            (m)         spray painting with lead paint containing more than 1% by dry weight of lead;

            (n)         melting lead metal or alloys containing more than 50% by weight of lead metal if the exposed surface area of the molten material exceeds 0.1 square metre and the temperature of the molten material does not exceed 450°C;

            (o)         using a power tool, including abrasive blasting and high pressure water jets, to remove a surface coated with paint containing more than 1% by dry weight of lead and handling waste containing lead resulting from the removal;

            (p)         a process that exposes a person to lead dust or lead fumes arising from manufacturing or testing detonators or other explosives that contain lead;

            (q)         a process that exposes a person to lead dust or lead fumes arising from firing weapons at an indoor firing range;

            (r)         foundry processes involving —

                  (i)         melting or casting lead alloys containing more than 1% by weight of lead metal in which the temperature of the molten material exceeds 450°C; or

                  (ii)         dry machine grinding, discing, buffing or cutting by power tools lead alloys containing more than 1% by weight of lead metal;

            (s)         a process decided by the regulator to be a lead process under regulation 393.