Although lead-based paint has been banned since the 1970s, respiratory risks to construction workers continue to make headlines. OSHA estimates that more than 800,000 workers in general industry and construction are potentially exposed to lead. Workers are exposed to lead as a result of the maintenance, recycling, and disposal of lead material and products.
This month, OSHA issued fines to an Ohio company for its failure to correct serious violations regarding exposure to lead; the total fines upwards of $190,000.
According to OSHA, lead-formed alloys are typically found in ammunition, pipes, cable covering, building material, solder, radiation shielding, collapsible tubes, and fishing weights. Lead is also used in ceramic glazes and as a stabilizer in plastics.
Lead enters the body primarily through inhalation and ingestion. Lead passes through the lungs into the blood where it can harm many of the body’s organ systems. Experts agree that while inorganic lead does not readily enter the body through the skin, it can enter the body through accidental ingestion via contaminated hands, clothing, and surfaces. “Workers may develop a variety of ailments, such as neurological effects, gastrointestinal effects, anemia, and kidney disease.”
Construction workers can also be exposed during installation, maintenance, or demolition of lead pipes and fittings, lead linings in tanks and radiation protection, leaded glass, work involving soldering, and other work involving lead metal or lead alloys. In general industry, workers come in contact with lead in solder, plumbing fixtures, rechargeable batteries, leaded glass, brass or bronze objects, and radiators.
Employers are required to protect workers from inorganic lead exposure under OSHA lead standards covering general industry (1910.1025), shipyards (1915.1025), and construction (1926.62). The lead standards establish a permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 50 µg/m3 of lead over an eight-hour time-weighted-average for all employees covered. The standards also set an action level of 30 µg/m3, at which an employer must begin specific compliance activities.
Some of the basic requirements for lead exposure abatement include:
- Providing employees with protective clothing and, where necessary, with respiratory protection accordance with 29 CFR 1910.134
- Using engineering controls and work practices to reduce worker exposure.
- Observing good personal hygiene practices, such as washing hands before eating and taking a shower before leaving the worksite.
For more information about your construction safety needs, contact our offices at Diversified Safety Solutions.
