Employee and environmental safety is foundational to the North American lead battery industry. BCI members are committed to protecting workers, communities, and the environment through responsible practices that support a safe, reliable, and sustainable battery supply chain.
Across every stage of the lead battery lifecycle, from manufacturing to recycling, safety is built into how the industry operates. BCI members implement comprehensive programs designed to safeguard employee health, minimize environmental impact, and maintain strong community trust.
This commitment is supported by rigorous standards, continuous improvement initiatives, and collaboration across the industry. For more than 30 years, BCI has worked alongside member companies to advance employee health and safety through voluntary programs, shared best practices, and proactive leadership that consistently meets and often exceeds regulatory requirements.
Since 1997, BCI and its member companies have maintained a voluntary Blood Lead Program that sets goals significantly more protective than federal OSHA requirements. This industry-wide initiative spans both manufacturing and recycling operations, demonstrating a shared commitment to continuous improvement in managing employee lead exposures.
The program’s current goal is for all workers to maintain blood lead levels (BLL) at or below 20 µg/dL by 2025, far more stringent than OSHA’s regulatory standard of 50 µg/dL. While OSHA requires medical removal at 60 µg/dL or an average of 50 µg/dL, BCI members voluntarily strive for much lower levels.
Today, a significant majority of BCI member workers maintain blood lead levels below 10 µg/dL, with the industry average below 9 µg/dL. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of voluntary industry standards and a commitment to worker health that extends well beyond regulatory compliance.
BCI supports member companies through best practice sharing, sample blood lead control program templates, biological monitoring protocols, and the annual Environmental Health & Safety Conference where professionals learn from experts and share innovations.
The lead battery recycling sector represents one of the most successful circular economies in the United States, safely recovering critical materials from more than 160 million used batteries annually. These recycling operations prevent millions of batteries from entering landfills while supplying up to 80% of the lead needed to manufacture new batteries domestically.
This essential work requires specialized facilities and dedicated employees who handle complex recycling processes daily. Lead battery recyclers face unique workplace challenges that demand the highest level of safety protocols, environmental controls, and health monitoring systems.
The recycling sector has responded with world-class safety standards and practices. On average, U.S. recycling facilities invest over $70 million per facility in environmental, health, and safety (EHS) improvements, including state-of-the-art air filtration systems and advanced safety equipment. Approximately 30% of annual operating budgets are dedicated to EHS measures—a commitment that demonstrates the industry’s unwavering priority on protecting people and the environment.
Watch this short video from the Association of Battery Recyclers (ABR) to see how the lead battery recycling industry prioritizes employee health and safety.
Lead battery recyclers provide rigorous training and ongoing education to equip employees with the skills and knowledge needed to protect themselves and their colleagues. Operations employees at recycling facilities receive an average of 32 hours of safety training per year. Regular refresher courses, shift talks, and specialized training sessions ensure employees stay current on best practices and new safety innovations.
Many recycling facilities participate in OSHA’s Safe + Sound Week and other initiatives that make safety engaging and fun, using creative approaches like scavenger hunts, trivia contests, and recognition programs to reinforce safety principles.
Regular health monitoring is essential to safeguarding employees and ensuring the effectiveness of safety programs at lead battery recycling facilities. Blood lead level (BLL) testing remains the gold standard for measuring and managing occupational exposure, and BCI member recycling facilities maintain rigorous monitoring programs to keep workers safe. Many facilities also provide on-site medical care, offering convenient access to healthcare services for employees.
Stringent decontamination protocols add additional layers of protection to prevent contaminants from leaving the workplace. Body vacuum stations, handwashing facilities, and lead-check stations are strategically placed throughout facilities. Separate locker rooms and on-site laundry services ensure that all work garments and protective equipment are professionally cleaned and sanitized, preventing lead dust from leaving the site.
In high-exposure areas, employees are required to shower and change into street clothes before leaving work. This critical step protects not only workers but also their families and the surrounding community. At U.S lead battery recycling facilities, nothing from the workplace goes home—safety, hygiene, and health are maintained at every stage.
Lead battery recyclers use comprehensive environmental controls to safeguard employees and surrounding communities. Perimeter air monitoring keeps emissions far below allowable limits, with industry averages well under OSHA standards and contributing less than 1% of total U.S. lead air emissions.
Process water is captured, treated, and tested to meet or exceed clean water standards, while storm water systems manage rainfall runoff. Facilities also maintain land through regular cleaning, vehicle decontamination, landscaping buffers, and soil testing to minimize dust and monitor environmental conditions.
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Press Release
June 3, 2025
The domestic lead battery industry is still thriving after more than 100 years of operation, offering good-paying jobs in rural communities that prove American manufacturing is alive and well.
