Yesterday’s Advisor reviewed the new training requirements for the recently amended Pesticide Worker Protection Standard. Today, we offer some tips for protecting workers in general industry from another dangerous environmental safety hazard—exposure to lead.
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The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards require that employees that are potentially exposed to lead be trained in a number of topics, including the health hazards of lead, operations that could result in exposure, restricted areas, medical surveillance, personal protective equipment, hygiene and housekeeping, and decontamination procedures.
In addition to complying with OSHA’s lead standard for general industry at 29 CFR 1910.1025, as an employer you can practice administrative controls, such as job rotation, to limit your employees’ exposure to lead to less than 30 days a year.
General Tips for Employees
Basic ways that your employees can limit their exposure to lead include:
- Enter a restricted area only if authorized.
- Read and follow warning signs that warn against entering restricted areas.
- Make sure the available ventilation systems are operating to reduce the concentrations of lead in the area.
- Never take food, beverages, or tobacco into areas with high lead levels, as they may spread contamination even if consumed in a different area.
- To keep surfaces as free as possible of accumulated lead, use vacuums with high-efficiency particulate air filters to clean up floors or other surfaces. Don’t use compressed air, and don’t shovel, brush, or use dry or wet sweeping unless vacuuming has been tried and found not to work well.
- Use respirators and protective clothing that are assigned to you. Inspect them to make sure they are in good condition.
- When you leave a high lead area, vacuum contaminated clothing or remove and dispose of it. Wash before eating, smoking, or applying cosmetics.
- Don’t go home wearing contaminated clothing. At the end of your shift, remove your contaminated clothing, leave it in the appropriate containers in the changing room or shower, and put on clean personal clothing.
- Store work clothes and personal clothes in separate areas.
- Don’t ignore any symptoms that could indicate health problems related to working with lead. Pay attention to them, and report them immediately so they can be investigated in an effort to do everything possible to prevent dangerous lead exposure and its effects on health.
Symptoms of lead exposure include loss of appetite, a metallic taste in your mouth, nausea, stomach pain, weakness, fatigue, insomnia, muscle or joint pain, numbness, tremors, and dizziness.
Tips in an Emergency
If there is an emergency at your facility involving lead, make sure your employees are trained to follow these procedures:
- Sweep or vacuum spills into sealed containers.
- Label containers appropriately as “Lead Waste.”
- Do not allow lead dust to be released into the air, ground, or water.
- If a large amount of lead dust is inhaled, get fresh air and rest. Get medical attention as soon as possible.
If a large amount of lead dust is ingested, rinse your mouth