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Lead Without Lead: Asbestos and lead exposure prevention for workers

By Tom O'Connor | Jun 15, 2023
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We all know asbestos and lead are dangerous. 

We all know asbestos and lead are dangerous. Nearly 40,000 Americans—many of whom are construction and general industry ­workers—die each year due to asbestos-related diseases, according to the Mesothelioma Center. Additionally, the World Health Organization estimates that globally, 1 million people die and millions more experience adverse symptoms because of lead poisoning every year. While U.S. fatality figures aren’t as high, it is believed that nearly half of the American population has elevated levels of lead in their blood. As a result, OSHA has stringent regulations addressing asbestos and lead exposure.

What’s asbestos?

Asbestos is composed of naturally occurring minerals resistant to heat and corrosion. It includes the mineral fibers chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, anthophyllite, actinolite and any of these materials that have been chemically treated or altered. Asbestos can be found in floor tiles, building materials, insulation for pipes and car parts.

When microscopic asbestos fibers become airborne or get disrupted by construction work, it is extremely dangerous. Inhaling it can result in serious health complications, including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, which is a fatal malignant tumor that grows on the lining of the stomach or lungs.

These health hazards are why OSHA requires employers to provide monitoring equipment to assess potential exposure levels to asbestos. OSHA’s general industry standard 29 CFR 1910.1001 states that airborne asbestos levels may never exceed permissible exposure limits (PELs). 

According to the regulation, the OSHA PEL for asbestos fibers is “an 8-hour TWA airborne concentration of 0.1 fiber (longer than 5 micrometers and having a length-to-diameter ratio of at least 3 to 1) per cubic centimeter of air (0.1 fiber/cm3), as determined by the membrane filter method at approximately 400X magnification with phase contrast illumination. No worker should be exposed in excess of 1 fiber/cm3 (excursion limit) as averaged over a sampling period of 30 minutes.”

There are no “safe” levels of exposure to asbestos. Even a few days of exposure can result in mesothelioma. Therefore, it is imperative to wear the appropriate PPE, be aware of any potential exposure and adhere to all OSHA guidelines.

Lead exposure on the job

Inorganic lead is a malleable, blue-gray, heavy metal that occurs naturally in the Earth’s crust. It is primarily used for car batteries, 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 was used as a corrosion inhibitor and pigment in paints before it was banned in 1977. It was also used as an additive in gasoline until the mid-1980s. Lead can enter the body by being ingested or breathed in. However, most exposure now occurs as a result of inhaling lead-containing dust or fumes at work or in hobbies involving lead.

On-the-job exposure to lead can occur during production, use, maintenance, recycling and disposal of lead material and products. While exposure occurs in most industry sectors, electricians, lineworkers and construction workers may encounter lead in renovation or demolition of structures containing lead-based paints. 

Workers may also face exposure when installing or conducting maintenance or demolition of lead pipes and fittings, lead linings and leaded glass; doing work involving soldering; and other tasks involving lead metal or alloys.

When lead passes through the lungs and enters the bloodstream, it can be extremely harmful. It also can enter the body through eating, drinking or smoking with contaminated hands, clothing and surfaces. Lead poisoning can cause neurological and gastrointestinal problems, anemia and kidney disease.

According to OSHA’s fact sheet on lead exposure, “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 of 50 [micrograms]/m3 of lead over an eight-hour time-weighted-average for all employees covered. The standards also set an action level of 30 [micrograms]/m3, at which an employer must begin specific compliance activities, including blood lead testing for exposed workers.”

The regulations address medical surveillance, exposure monitoring and hygiene facilities preventing lead exposure and elevated blood lead levels. It is important to abide by all OSHA requirements addressing lead exposure.

stock.adobe.com / GDM photo and video

 

About The Author

O’CONNOR is safety and regulatory affairs manager for Intec, a safety consulting, training and publishing firm. Reach him at [email protected].

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