Lead in construction

Exposure

Oct 26

Date Posted: 10/27/2023

Lead is a toxic, naturally occurring heavy metal. Traditionally in the construction industry, most over-exposures to lead have been found in the trades such as plumbing, welding, and painting. “In each of these trades, workers are at risk of being exposed to lead by breathing it in, ingesting it, or coming in contact with it,” NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) states. NIOSH states that a lead enters the body, it’s stored in a person’s bones, blood, and tissues. It remains there, where it becomes a continual source of internal exposure. “As we age, our bones demineralize, and the internal exposures may increase as a result of larger releases of lead from the bone tissue,” the agency notes. Lead is a cumulative and persistent toxic substance that poses a severe health risk. Lead has been poisoning workers for thousands of years. One of the oldest known occupational hazards, hundreds of years ago, it was recognized that lead was harmful when inhaled or ingested. The absorption of excessive quantities of lead may cause diseases of the kidney, as well as of the peripheral and central nervous systems.

Effects of Lead

The effects of lead on the nervous system range from mild behavioral symptoms to fatal brain damage. Lead exposure can also result in impotence and sterility in men, decreased fertility in women, and affect fetal development. If proper workplace hygiene practices are not followed, the lead on workers' clothing may expose their families at home.

Short-term overexposure can cause fatigue, abdominal pain, headaches, loss of appetite, memory loss, and pain or tingling in the hands or feet. Because these symptoms tend to occur slowly over time, they may be misdiagnosed as something else or overlooked entirely.

Long-term exposure to lead can trigger abdominal pain, constipation, distractedness, depression, nausea, and sickness. Additionally, workers exposed to lead for extended periods may be at risk of high blood pressure, heart and kidney disease, and fertility problems.

Over the last 40 years, lead use has been reduced to prevent contamination of the environment. This has reduced the average adult blood lead level from over 20 µg/dL to less than 5 µg/dL. With this reduction, it has been possible to identify the health effects of lead at much lower levels, and recommendations for managing lead exposures have been adjusted. Rules for lead work are under review in Washington and other states and by OSHA based on these newer recommendations.

Note: Workers exposed to lead may develop various health problems, such as nervous system, digestive tract, blood, kidney, heart, brain, and reproductive damage in both men and women.

How Can You Get Exposed to Lead in the Workplace?

In building construction, lead is frequently used for roofs, cornices, tank linings, and electrical conduits. In plumbing, soft solder, used chiefly for soldering tinplate and copper pipe joints, is an alloy of lead and tin. Soft solder has been banned for many uses in the United States. The use of lead-based paint in residential applications also has been prohibited by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. However, since lead-based color inhibits the rusting and corrosion of iron and steel, it is still used on bridges, railways, ships, lighthouses, and other steel structures, although substitute coatings are available.

Significant lead exposures also can arise from removing paint from surfaces previously coated with lead-based paint, such as in bridge repair, residential renovation, and demolition. With the increase in highway work, including bridge repair, residential lead abatement, and residential remodeling, the potential for exposure to lead-based paint has become more common. Specific trades or "jobs" potentially exposed to lead include iron, demolition, painting, lead-based paint abatement, plumbing, heating/air conditioning, electrical, and carpentry/renovation/remodeling. Operations that can generate lead dust and fumes:

Demolition of structures.
Flame-torch cutting.
Welding.
Use heat guns, sanders, scrapers, or grinders to remove lead paint.
Abrasive blasting of steel structures.

How Can You Protect Yourself from Lead Exposure in the Workplace?

The most effective way to protect workers is to minimize exposure through engineering controls and good work practices. OSHA’s directive is that respirators should only be used when engineering and work practices, including administrative controls, cannot reduce employee exposure below the PEL. Respirators must be used when an employee's exposure to lead exceeds the PEL, during work operations for which engineering and work practice controls are insufficient to reduce employee exposures to or below the PEL, and during periods when an employee requests a respirator. Lead safety must be taken seriously. NIOSH offers several recommendations for supervisors and workers:

Provide training for workers on the hazards of lead and how to protect themselves before exposure.
Conduct a lead exposure assessment to determine if lead is present at or above the action level and in what quantities in accordance with WAC 296-155-17609. The rule lists “trigger tasks” that require implementing controls until a full exposure assessment is completed; workers are presumed to be exposed to lead during these tasks.
Provide blood lead testing for workers who may be regularly exposed above the action level (30 µg/m³ 30 or more days per year). Start with a test every two months for six months and then every six months after that. If workers are not exposed regularly but may occasionally have a project with lead exposure, having pre- and post-project blood lead testing can help to check that controls and work practices are effectively controlling exposure.
Conduct air monitoring to ensure workers are not exposed above the permissible exposure limit (50 µg/m³). Train workers and periodically monitor exposure if worker exposures exceed the action level (30 µg/m³).
Do not disturb the lead where feasible. For example, it may be better to seal over lead-containing paint than to chip or remove existing paint and apply new paint.
Remove and replace items with lead-containing paint rather than trying to chip, sand, or otherwise remove the paint.
Wet surfaces (e.g., painted surfaces) before and during work (e.g., scraping, sanding) that might create lead-containing dust to help prevent workers from inhaling or ingesting lead (this reduces but does not entirely prevent exposures).
Avoid dry and wet sweeping, shoveling, or brushing dust containing lead. Only use a vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter for cleanup activities.
Ensure that food or beverages are not present or consumed, tobacco products are not present or used, and cosmetics are not applied in areas where workers may be exposed to lead.
Ensure that workers wash their hands and face before eating, drinking, or applying cosmetics.
Wear outer clothing that can be disposed of or washed (separately) after completing work. Ensure areas where work is performed with lead are well-ventilated.
Wear appropriate personal protective equipment, including goggles, gloves, boots, and other protective clothing items.
Wear NIOSH-approved respiratory protection where airborne exposures cannot be reduced below the PEL in accordance with WAC 296-155-17613.
If you’re pregnant or plan to become pregnant and have concerns about lead exposure, talk to your healthcare provider. Workers with a personal or family history of heart or cognitive health issues may also want to be cautious with lead exposures. Employers can offer additional PPE and respiratory protection for these workers and should be sure there are good hand and face-washing facilities for workers to use.