Hazard Alert: Lead Poisoning

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  CPWR--The Center for Construction Research and Training
• Description:
  Am I in danger? The lead paint "ban" in 1978 was only for residential use in the U.S. Lead is still in pre-1978 structures and in commercial and industrial paints. You can be exposed to lead during... 1) demolition, 2) maintenance, and 3) renovation. If you are working with materials that have lead paint and you are... stripping, sanding, scraping, grinding, heating, blasting, cutting, then you are being exposed to lead. If you don't change your clothes and work boots before leaving work, you can take lead dust home, and your family can get lead poisoning. You can also carry lead dust on or in your vehicle to another worksite or your home. What will lead poisoning do to me or my family? Lead can damage your kidneys, brain, nervous system and cause blood problems. The number of health problems is too lengthy to list, but here are a few of them: a) impotence, b) forgetfulness, c) reduced reaction time, d) fatigue, e) poor concentration, and f) weakness. The first signs of severe poisoning may be upset stomach (or cramps), weakness, joint pain, and/or being tired. Children suffer greatly from lead. It can lead to many problems, including emotional changes and brain damage. If lead is present... 1) Get training. EPA, HUD and OSHA say your employer must train you if you could be exposed to lead at work. Once trained, follow all the rules. 2) Use methods to control dust. Workers and contractors have lots of options. Using vacuum attachments with power tools can control lead dust at the source. When using chemical paint strippers, read the label and use the recommended personal protective equipment. 3) Wear a respirator. Even small amounts of lead dust can hurt you. If you create lead dust, you need a respirator. Minimum protection from lead dust begins with a half-face respirator with a P-100 filter or a P-100 filtering facepiece. OSHA requires your employer to protect you: When lead in the air reaches a certain level, your employer must provide you with the right equipment and a room for changing clothes so you don't take lead home. Here's how to protect you and your family: 1) Wash your face and hands before you smoke, eat or drink. 2) Do not wear work clothes home. Wipe down the seat of your car or truck. Children are very sensitive to lead. 3) Get a blood test. OSHA says your employer must test your blood-lead level if you are around high concentrations of lead (30 micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air). [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Blood Construction Industry Education Family Hematologic Tests Lead Lead Poisoning Mortality Nervous System Nervous System Diseases Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Poisoning Respiratory Protective Devices Safety Safety Management Staff Development Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Blood Disorders Blood Lead Levels Blood Tests Brain Damage Children Construction Construction-equipment Construction-industry Construction-workers Control Methods Control Systems Families Injuries Injury Prevention Kidney Damage Lead Absorption Lead Dust Lead Poisoning Mortality Data Nervous System Disorders Neurological Disorders Personal Protective Equipment Respirators Safety-education Safety-measures Safety-programs Take-home Toxins Training Work-environment Worker-health

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• Series:
  CPWR - Center for Construction Research and Training Publications
• Subseries:
  Hazard Alerts
• Publisher:
  CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Report
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; OSHA Region 3
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1 pdf page
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20049689 ; nn:20050110
• Citation:
  Silver Spring, MD: CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training, 2015 Apr; :1
• CAS Registry Number:
  Lead (CAS RN 7439-92-1)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2015
• Performing Organization:
  CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training, Silver Spring, Maryland
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20090901
• End Date:
  20240831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:5289e48626832c8cd6d69c5984ca328238684bfeb2473bf58f7c1a8353ecad4030979e16d993bcb735276d4d114eb12cf4d8d5c919f882401f2334d212409cbb
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/212908/cdc_212908_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 870.34 KB ]