Michigan Worker Lead-Level Caps Dropping 40 Percent

Michigan is the first state to set stricter limits on how much lead workers can have in their blood.

While the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and some states are discussing tighter limits, Michigan starts enforcing its new caps Feb. 12, the director of Michigan’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Bart Pickelman, told Bloomberg Law.

The recent public health crisis in Flint, Mich., helped prompt the state government to approve the new rules. “It definitely raised awareness,” Pickelman said. The Flint water system was contaminated by lead, forcing residents to switch to bottled water.

The new rules for construction ...