by
Robin Mosman, The LEAD Group
There is a constant flow of inquiry and information between LEADLINE
and agencies of all three tiers of government.
Local Government
The Australian Institute of Environmental Health, the professional body
for local government Environmental Health Officers, in the process of formulating policy
and guidelines on lead management, regularly make inquiries of LEADLINE.
It was found recently that premises in Norton Street, Ashfield, owned
by Ashfield Council and used as a kindergarten by the Kindergarten Union, had high lead
levels in the paint. LEADLINE gave advice to Ashfield Council officers on temporary
remediation work, and referrals to lead assessment and abatement service providers.
Other councils which have been in touch with LEADLINE in the period of
this report, or who have referred inquirers, are Botany, Canterbury, Marrickville, Manly,
South Sydney (in Sydney), Cabonne (in Perth) and City of Fremantle.
State Government
A number of officers with Public Health Units have contacted LEADLINE.
The Environmental Health Officer with the Public Health Unit of the Central Sydney Area
Health Services, who regularly makes use of LEADLINE’s resources, recently said that
LEADLINE "has been invaluable for current technical references on a wide variety of
issues relating to environmental lead." He also said that LEADLINE had been "a
very useful resource base to which he had been able to refer members of the public with
concerns about child lead poisoning, for detailed information on the avoidance of
environmental lead exposure."
An employee of the Queensland Health Department contacted LEADLINE in
order to ascertain for a doctor how often a lead-poisoned worker patient should be
retested. The Health Department did not have a copy of the National Health and Medical
Research Council (NHMRC) guidelines for doctors. The Health Dept employee believed that
the notifiable level of blood lead for workers was 3.4 µmol/L (70 µg/dL) in Queensland,
that there had been no update of this in response to the NHMRC 1993 recommendations.
LEADLINE researched this, and established that the Queensland Health Act had been amended
in February 1995 so that 2.4 µmol/L (50 µg/dL) is now the notifiable level for persons
known to be exposed to lead in their occupations, (Ref: Qld Govt Gazette No 15.) LEADLINE
then notified the Health Department employee.
Federal Government
When an inquirer informed LEADLINE that a TV news program showed that workers involved
in demolition and removal of ceiling dust in the Airport Noise Insulation Program for
Sydney Airport’s Third Runway were not wearing appropriate safety equipment, LEADLINE
contacted the Department of Administrative Services (DAS). DAS sought advice from
LEADLINE, and began formulating new policy guidelines for insulation and demolitions. A
meeting was held with LEADLINE for community input into the draft guidelines. Subsequently
DAS asked for LEADLINE’s comments in writing to assist with their finalisation of the
guidelines.
