Lead
Lead is a soft, malleable heavy metal commonly found in the environment. It has a “sweet” taste, which is why children would often chew and suck on lead figurines.
By what other names is lead known?
Lead was formerly known as plumbum and can also be commonly found in galena ore, along with silver.
Why is lead a hazard we need to think about?
Lead is primarily a neurotoxin that can cause brain damage, but it can also affect your general health and in particular your kidneys.
It can have an impact on people when they are exposed to small doses over a long period of time, or larger doses over a short period of time.
Where might we find lead?
Lead was used to make a variety of objects, from children’s toy figurines to ammunition. It was an important ingredient of early pewter until it was realised that regularly drinking from pewter mugs made you sick.
White lead was used in paint until it was banned in New Zealand in 1979 (red lead can still be used but must be clearly labelled). It was also used as a wood preservative and as a pesticide. It was sometimes sprayed onto collection items as part of a preservative compound.
Non-commercial ceramics may also contain high quantities of lead.
How can we confirm that we have lead?
The use of a hand-held x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analyser is a great non-damaging way of testing your items for lead and other heavy metals, though there are other chemical spot/wipe tests that can also be undertaken.
If your institution is situated in Otago or Southland and you think you have lead present in your collection, Tūhura Otago museum would be happy to provide advice and assistance. We are lucky enough to have a Bruker Tracer pXRF which we use on a regular basis.
What does the law say about lead?
The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 gives strict limits regarding heavy metal exposure and imposes a duty of care on those managing heritage organisations to ensure that their staff and patrons are not harmed.
The Workplace Exposure Standard (TWA) for lead is 0.05mg/m3.
You can learn more about your H & S responsibilities and how workplace exposure limits are determined by going to Understanding Workplace Exposure Standards
What do museums, libraries, and archives have to do if they have items containing lead?
Ensure your institution’s H & S plan includes the following points:
- Identifying and labelling lead-containing materials (this should include items you suspect of containing lead but haven’t confirmed).
- Assessing the risks from your lead-containing exhibits
- Processes for accidents, incidents, emergencies, and disposal concerning any items containing lead
- Documenting staff training and keeping secure medical records
You can learn more about health and safety plans by going here: H&S Management Plan
How can institutions manage lead in their collections?
Once you have identified and assessed any risk(s), then you mitigate the risk(s). You can ensure that the public are unable to handle items or fabrics that are known to contain lead or other heavy metals.
Keep an inventory of your items that contain lead and other heavy metals so that staff are aware of which items are potentially hazardous and know how to handle the items. If staff are going to be regularly handling items that contain lead, you may wish to medically monitor lead levels in your staff. You will have to seek the advice of a GP that specialises in occupational medicine.
If museums wish to dispose of any items containing lead, how can they do this safely?
If you wish to dispose of any heavy metal items, contact a WorkSafe-accredited company or the friendly collections team at Tūhura Otago Museum for advice.
WorkSafe encourages PCBUs to use the services of consultants who are listed on the HASANZ Register .
