<Insert Company Name Here>.
EXPOSURE TO LEAD IN
CONSTRUCTION
29 CFR 1296.62
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
Purpose:
The purpose of the Company’s Lead Safety Program is to protect both our
employees and the environment from lead contamination. The intent of out
program is to be in full compliance with OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1926.62 and
all other local, State, and Federal Requirements.
A copy of 29 CFR 1926.62 can be obtained from the Corporate Safety
Director.
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
What is Lead:
Discovered by: - Known since ancient times
Origin name – From the Latin word “plumbum,” meaning liquid silver
Period Symbol – Pb
Lead is a bluish-white lustrous metal.
It is very soft, highly malleable, ductile, and a relatively poor conductor of electricity.
It is very resistant to corrosion but tarnishes upon exposure to air.
It is believed that Lead Poisoning contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire:
The Romans used lead to make drinking chalices,to line the city water supply
system, and for drainage rings in their bathtubs.
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
Common Uses of Lead (Metal & Dioxides):
Storage batteries
Cable covering
Plumbing
Ammunition
Gasoline (phased out)
Sound absorber
Radiation shields around X-ray equipment and nuclear reactors
Paints (phased out)
Production of fine "crystal glass" and "flint glass“
Solder
Pewter
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
Key Definitions:
Action Level: means employee exposure, without regard to the use of
respirators, to an airborne concentration of lead of 30 micrograms per cubic
meter of air (30 ug/m3) calculated as an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA).
Competent Person: means one who is capable of identifying existing and
predictable lead hazards in the surroundings or working conditions and who
has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.
Lead: means metallic lead, all inorganic lead compounds, and organic lead
soaps. Excluded for this definition are all other organic lead compounds
Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL): (1) the employer shall assure that no
employee is exposed to lead at concentrations greater than 50 ug/m3 TWA: (2)
If the employee is exposed to lead for more than eight hours in any work day,
the employees’ allowable exposure, as a TWA for that day shall recalculated.
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
What are different types of lead exposure:
1 - Welding
2 – Cutting
3 – Abrasive Blasting
4 – Torch Burning
5 - Grinding
6 - Chipping
78910 -
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
Safety Director Responsibilities:
Entire lead safety program, including revisions and updates to reflect the
current status of the program
Engineering & administrative controls for lead exposure
Employee training and awareness
Medical surveillance program
Respiratory protection program
Lead disposal program
Housekeeping program
Protective clothing issue, storage, and disposal
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
Superintendent / Foreman Responsibilities:
Provide effective and continuous control of all lead operations
Immediately report any deficiencies in engineering or administrative controls
Conduct routine assigned inspections and monitoring
Provide immediate on-the-spot training for any employee who shows lack of
knowledge of lead safety requirements
Ensure all employees are properly trained before commencing any operation
that may contribute to lead exposure
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
Employee Responsibilities:
Follow all operational and lead safety procedures
Seek immediate assistance to resolve questions
Conduct operations in accordance with company provided training
Immediately report to a superintendent, foreman, or safety director any
deficiency in engineering or administrative controls
Properly use, store, and dispose of issued and assigned personal protective
clothing.
Maintain hygiene facilities in a neat and orderly manner
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:
Pure Lead (Pb) is a heavy metal at room temperature and pressure and is a
basic chemical element.
Lead can be combined with various other substances to form numerous lead
compounds.
When heat is provided, Lead will produce Lead Fumes.
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
ROUTES OF ENTRY:
INHALATION – When Lead is scattered in the air as dust, fume, or mist it can
be inhaled and absorbed into the lungs and upper respiratory tract.
ABSORBATION – Lead can also be absorbed through the digestive system if
swallowed.
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Handling food, cigarettes, chewing tobacco, or make-up which have lead
contamination or handling these items with hands contaminated with lead, will
contribute to ingestion.
Lead cannot be absorbed through the skin
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
HEALTH HAZARDS:
A significant portion of inhaled or ingested Lead goes directly into the blood
stream.
Once in the blood stream, Lead is circulated throughout the body and stored in
various organs and body tissue.
Some of the Lead is quickly filtered out of the body and excreted, but some
remains in the blood and other tissues.
As exposure to Lead continues, the amount stored in the body will increase.
LEAD stored in the body tissue can cause irreversible damage,
first to individual cells, then to organs and whole body systems.
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
Lead Health Hazard Information for
Employees
Prevention of adverse health effects for most workers from exposed to lead
throughout a working lifetime requires that workers blood lead (PbB) levels be
maintained at or below 40 micrograms per 100 grams of whole blood
(40ug/100g)
The blood lead levels of workers (both male & female) who intend to have
children should be maintained below 30 ug/100g to minimize adverse
reproductive health affects to the parents and to the developing fetus.
Once your blood lead level climbs above 40 ug/100g, your risk of diseases
increases.
Your blood lead level will not indicate the amount of lead stored inside your
body tissue, only the amount circulating in your blood stream.
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
SHORT-TERM (ACUTE) EFFECTS OF
OVEREXPOSURE TO LEAD:
Lead is a potent, systemic poison
Taken in large enough doses, lead can kill in a matter of days
Acute brain conditions may develop quickly to seizures, coma, and death from
cardio respiratory arrest.
Lead adversely affects numerous body systems, and causes forms of health
impairment and disease which arise after periods of exposure as short as days
or as long as several years
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
Long-term (Chronic) Effects of Overexposure
to lead:
Chronic overexposure to lead may result in severe damage to blood-forming,
nervous, urinary, and reproductive systems.
Some common symptoms of chronic overexposure include:
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Loss of appetite – Metallic taste in the mouth – Anxiety – Constipation
Nausea – Excessive Tiredness – Weakness – Insomnia – Headache
Nervous irritability – Muscle & joint pain or soreness – Fine tremors
Numbness – Dizziness – Hyperactivity - Colic
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In lead colic there may be severe abdominal pain
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
Monitoring:
The company will make an “initial determination” of lead work tasks and
exposure levels.
The company will make subsequent “initial determinations” in the event of
changes to hazard control methods or operational processes that affect
employee or environmental exposure.
Initial Determinations shall be conducted to determine if any employee may be
exposed to lead at or above the action level of 30 micrograms per cubic meter
of air (30 ug/m3) averaged over an eight (8) hour period.
Where documentation is made that no employee is exposed to airborne
concentrations of lead at or above the action level, the company shall maintain
a written record. The record shall include quantitative sampling data, date of
determination, location of the worksite, and the name and social security
number of each employee monitored.
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
Monitoring Requirements:
Where a determination shows the possibility of any employee exposure at or
above the action level, the company shall conduct monitoring which is
representative of the exposure for each employee in the workplace or process
area who is exposed to lead.
For the purpose of monitoring requirements, employee exposure is that
exposure which would occur if the employee were not using a respirator.
Monitoring and sample collection shall cover full shift (for at least 7
continuous hours) personal samples including at least one sample for each shift
of each job classification in each work area.
Full shift personal samples must be representative of the monitored
employee’s regular, daily exposure to lead.
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
Monitoring Frequency:
At or above the Action Level and Below PEL:
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Every six months if the initial determination or subsequent monitoring reveals
employee exposure at or above the action level and below the permissible exposure
limit (PEL)
This monitoring frequency will continue until at least two consecutive
measurements, taken at least seven days apart, are below the action level.
Above the PEL:
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If the initial monitoring reveals that employee exposure is above the PEL the
company will repeat monitoring every three months
Quarterly monitoring will continue until at least two consecutive measurements,
taken at least seven days apart, are below the PEL but at or above the action level.
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
Additional Monitoring:
Whenever there has been a production, process, control or personnel change
which may result in new or additional exposure to lead, or whenever any other
reason to suspect a change which may result in new or additional exposures to
lead, additional monitoring will be conducted.
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
Employee Notification of Monitoring Results:
Within five working days after the receipt of monitoring results, each
employee will be notified in writing of the results which represent that
employee’s exposure
Whenever the results indicate that the representative employee exposure,
without regard to respiratory protection, exceeds the PEL, the notice will
include a statement that the PEL was exceeded and a description of the
corrective action taken or to be taken to reduce the exposure to or below the
PEL
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
Methods to Reduce Overexposure to Lead:
Engineering Controls
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Mechanical Ventilation
Non-recirculation of contaminated air
Administrative Controls
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Job rotation schedules
Respirators
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Respirators shall only be utilized to supplement engineering and administrative
controls
The respiratory program shall be in compliance to 29 CFR 1910.134
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
Protective Clothing & Equipment
If an employee is exposed to lead above the PEL, without regard to respiratory
protection, or where the possibility of skin irritation exists, the company will
provide at no cost to the employee appropriate protective work clothing and
equipment such as, but not limited to:
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Coveralls or similar full-body clothing
Gloves, hats, and shoes or disposable shoe coverlets
Face shield, vented goggles, or other appropriate protective equipment
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
Housekeeping:
All surfaces shall be maintained as free as practicable or accumulations of lead
Floors and other surfaces where lead accumulates may not be cleaned by the
use of compressed air
Shoveling, dry, or wet sweeping, and brushing may be used only where
vacuuming or other equally effective methods have been tried and found not
be effective
Where vacuuming methods are used, the vacuums shall be used and emptied in
a manner which minimizes the reentry of lead into the workplace.
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
Hygiene Facilities & Practices:
The following requirements pertain to all areas where employees are exposed
to lead above the PEL, without regard to the use of respirators
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No storage or consumption of food or beverages
No tobacco product storage or use
No personal clothing or articles, except in authorized change areas
The following items shall be provided by the company, at no cost to the
employee, for any employee who is exposed above the PEL.
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Change rooms
Showers
Separate Lavatories
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
Safe Work Practices:
Any employee who handles lead, or a lead compound material shall wash their
hands and face with soap and water, or equivalent:
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Prior to eating, drinking, smoking, or chewing tobacco
At the end of each shift
The use of work gloves will not negate the need to wash hands and face prior
to handling food, beverages or tobacco products.
Food, beverages, and/or tobacco products shall not be stored or consumed in
the work area.
All employees engaged in lead work activity shall participate in the Lead
Monitoring program including: Personal Air Sampling, Hand Wipes, and if
required – Medical Monitoring.
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
Signs:
Proper signs will be posted at the entrance and exits to all lead hazard areas
above the PEL.
No other signs or statements may appear on or near any lead hazard sign
which contradicts or detracts from the meaning of the required sign
All lead hazard signs will be kept illuminated and cleaned as necessary to that
the legend is readily visible.
The signs will contain the following or other appropriate wording/warning:
WARNING
LEAD WORK AREA
POISON
NO SMOKING OR EATING
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
Employee Training:
All affected employees will participate in the company Lead Safety Training
program.
All affected employees will be trained prior to the time of initial job.
All affected employees shall be trained on the specific nature of the operations
which could result in exposure to lead above the action level
Employee training shall consist of:
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Specific OSHA requirements contained in:
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1926.62 – OSHA Lead Standard
1926.62 – App A – Substance data sheet for occupational exposure to lead
1926.62 – App B – Employee standard Summary
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
Medical Surveillance:
The company has instituted a medical surveillance program for all employees
who are or may be exposed above the action level for more than 30 days per
year.
This medical surveillance program and all medical examinations and
procedures are performed by or under the supervision of a licensed physician.
The program functions under the requirements of OSHA Standard 1926.62.
Elements of the program include:
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Biological testing
Employee notification
Medical examinations and consultants
Medical removal protection
Medical removal and protection benefits
LEAD SAFETY PROGRAM
Recordkeeping:
All records relating to the company lead safety program are to be maintained
for at least 40 years or the duration of employment plus 20 years, whichever is
longer.
The following records will be established and maintained:
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Exposure Monitoring
Medical Surveillance
Medical Removals