A Call to Action: Control of Lead at Work Regulations (CLAW)
Unusually for a Vidimus editorial, in this issue we are reaching out to readers in the UK, in particular, to ask for your participation in a national consultation that will run until 24 May.
The UK Government’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is consulting on proposals for a significant reduction in the blood lead suspension levels permitted for lead workers. While intended to strengthen health and safety protections, these changes are expected to have a considerable impact on professionals making and conserving the nation’s stained glass, where lead is essential and no viable alternatives exist. A key concern is the potential disproportionate impact on women, as the proposed measures would limit their ability to work in certain conservation-restoration roles. Whilst we acknowledge the importance of ensuring safe practice when working with lead, and support the revision of lead levels across the construction and heritage sectors, it is vital that final proposals account for our cultural heritage, and are informed by real‑world professional practice.
Details of the consultation can be found here.
As the national lead in conservation advocacy, the Institute of Conservation (ICON) has been coordinating institutional engagement across the heritage sector and is reaching out to key figures in the political world. For more information see: https://www.icon.org.uk/resource/icon-raises-concerns-over-hse-proposed-changes-to-the-control-of-lead-at-work-regulations-2022.html
The ICON Stained Glass Group, led by our own Carlotta Cammelli, has been coordinating information and responses across the community and the group will be hosting free drop-in support sessions, for those responding to the consultation, on 5 and 18 May. You can find out more and book onto the sessions here: HSE Consultation Drop-in Support Session (5 May) / HSE Consultation Drop-in Support Session (18 May)
The British Society of Master Glass Painters is also mobilising its membership to ensure that the HSE receives a large and well-informed response. For more information of the BSMGP activities see: https://www.bsmgp.org.uk/news/lead-consultation/
This process represents a very real and existential threat to stained glass and we urge our readers to engage in the consultation because the HSE and Government will be forced to take notice of a high level of well-informed, individualised public response.
Sarah Brown, Christopher Parkinson and Carlotta Cammelli
