A Task-Based Approach to Assessing Lead Exposure Among Iron Workers Engaged in Bridge Rehabilitation

Details

• Personal Author:
  Doucette JT ; Goldberg M ; Griffin G ; Levin SM
• Description:
  A task based approach was used to assess lead (7439-92-1) exposure among structural steel iron workers engaged in a large, complex bridge rehabilitation project. Task specific and multitask airborne samples were collected using personal monitors, and operation specific and 8 hour time weighted averages were calculated. Of the 279 individual personal breathing zone samples collected, with sampling periods ranging from 10 to 424 minutes, 105 were task specific. Bulk paint samples were also analyzed and found to have lead content ranging from 26.5% to 61.5%, with a mean of 39.1%. Significant differences were seen in exposure levels among the different tasks. Arithmetic mean exposures varied from 1,357 microgram/cubic meter (microg/m3) lead for torch cutting and 989 microg/m3 for scaling to 31 microg/m3 for reaming and 4 microg/m3 for drilling. The specific task data was very different from mean exposure levels. The task based results were compared to the task based exposure levels presented by OSHA in its Lead Exposure in Construction Interim Final Rule, and good general agreement was seen between the two sets of data. The authors conclude that task based data is very useful in exposure assessment and much more precise than full shift and operation based measurements in guiding strategies for worker protection. The findings support the collection of task based data routinely in the evaluation of lead exposure in construction work. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Construction Industry Dust Lead Nervous System Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Lead Exposure Breathing-zone Construction-workers Construction Industry Exposure-levels Inorganic-lead Lead-dust Neurotoxic-effects NIOSH-Grant NIOSH-Publication Occupational-exposure OSHA Lead Standard Task-based Assessment Task-performance Time-weighted-average-exposure

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• ISSN:
  0271-3586
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  District of Columbia ; New York ; OSHA Region 2 ; OSHA Region 3
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  310-318
• Volume:
  31
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00235220
• Citation:
  Am J Ind Med 1997 Mar; 31(3):310-318
• Contact Point Address:
  Mark Goldberg, Hunter College, 425 E. 25 Street, Box 601, New York, NY 10010
• CAS Registry Number:
  Lead (CAS RN 7439-92-1)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1997
• NORA Priority Area:
  Neurotoxic Disorders ; Neurotoxic Effects
• Performing Organization:
  Center to Protect Workers' Rights, Washington, DC
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19900928
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• End Date:
  19961231
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b495aa2f817f626179aee50bec2c48cca48a9e8f708b3e236a93d2cac98840e7c054b099e361b776a2e839024a85fa191c8a5ece0d3f4295fce8f117f953dce6
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/197761/cdc_197761_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 79.23 KB ]