Overexposure to lead is one of the most common overexposure dangers found in industry today. Lead exposure is a leading cause of workplace illness. Between 0.5 and 1.5 million workers are exposed to lead in the workplace every year. Lead exposure can cause damage to the nervous system, kidneys, blood forming organs and reproductive system.

Who is at Risk for Lead Exposure?

At greatest risk are employees in lead-related industries including:

  • Painters and remodelers
  • Battery manufacturers and recyclers
  • Automotive radiator manufacturers and repairpeople
  • Employess involved in casting and machining lead, brass, bronze, pewter, and white metal
  • Metal platers
  • Manufacturers of leaded paints, inks, dyes, glazes, or pigments
  • Employees who work with leaded paints, inks, dyes, glazes, or pigments
  • Lead solderers, such as in the electronics industry
  • Employees at gun firing ranges
  • Ship builders
  • Those working in salvaging and recycling scrap metal
  • Manufacturers of ceramics
  • Manufacturers of leaded glass or crystal
  • Manufacturers of ammunition and explosives
  • Employees who compound plastic resins
  • Auto body repairpeople
  • Stained glass artists

Preventing Lead Exposure

The best way to prevent lead poisoning is to prevent contact with lead. An employer's first line of defense is proper engineering controls, such as a local exhaust ventilation system. Lead exposure can also be controlled by:

  • Safety training
  • Safe work practices, possibly including the use of a respirator and protective clothing
  • Switching to lead-free materials and/or controlling lead at the source

Second-Hand Lead Exposure

Those who are exposed to lead in the workplace can carry lead dust on their clothes or skin and expose family members. Following these simple rules when working with lead can stop this "second-hand" exposure to lead.

  • Do not eat, drink or smoke in lead-contaminated work areas
  • Wash hands before eating, smoking, or touching the face after doing any work with lead
  • Wear protective equipment over clothing whenever working with lead.
  • Shower, wash the hair and change into clean clothes (including shoes) before leaving the workplace
  • Store street clothes in a separate area from work clothes
  • Maintaining a well-balanced diet with proper nutrition can help reduce lead levels

These steps are particularly important, since "take-home lead" can contaminate vehicles and the home and is particularly harmful to small children.

Blood Tests

Those employed in a lead-related industry or work with lead should undergo a blood test. The amount of lead in the blood is measured in micrograms of lead per deciliter of whole blood (µg/dl). This type of measurement provides the blood lead level, or BLL. The typical BLL for U.S. adults is less than 5 µg/dl.

The first blood test establishes what might be considered the baseline. Periodic blood tests thereafter can determine if lead levels are rising. Note that a blood test measures lead levels at the time the test is taken.

Take-Away Messages

Lead exposure is a serious concern, but there are steps that can be taken to prevent it or at least reduce its risk. Of particular concern is second-hand exposure to lead that may endanger an employee's family. Click here to learn more about OSHA's lead standards

References:

http://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3142.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_poisoning

http://www.ct.gov/dph/LIB/dph/environmental_health/EOHA/pdf/Work_Lead.pdf

http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_Hurricane_Facts/LeadHazards.pdf

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/lead/

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