Lead
MIOSHA Lead Exposure in Construction Standard
Currently, WSU employees are not permitted to perform operations that may result in employee exposure to lead. The following operations are prohibited when the materials involved contain lead, and may result in employee exposure to lead: manual demolition of structures, manual sanding, heat gun applications, power tool cleaning, lead burning, rivet busting, abrasive blasting, welding, cutting, torch burning, cleanup activities where dry expendable abrasives are used or abrasive blasting enclosure movement and removal, where lead coatings or paint are present.
The MIOSHA Lead Exposure in Construction Standard states that employers are required to determine if employees are exposed to lead in excess of the eight-hour Action Level of 30 ug/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter of air). Many of the standard's provisions are triggered by the level of employee exposure to lead. Employee exposures in excess of the action level require that the employer implement routine air monitoring, medical surveillance, housekeeping, and annual training. In addition, employee exposures in excess of the PEL require methods of complying with the PEL, the use of respiratory protection, the use of protective work clothing and equipment, hygiene facilities (i.e. change areas, shower and hand washing facilities, and eating facilities), and medical removal protection, warning signs, and record keeping.
Contractor Activities
Project managers shall notify contractors that lead paint is present in many of our buildings and that each contractor is required to comply with all applicable regulations. Qualified lead abatement contractors are used for lead paint removal.
Where is lead found?
Lead is commonly found in many construction materials including, but not limited to, paint, welding wire and solders. Employee exposures to lead can occur during the demolition or salvage of structures, during the removal or encapsulation of lead-containing materials, and during new construction, alteration, repair, or renovation of structures that contain lead or lead-containing materials.
How can lead exposure occur?
Exposure to lead can occur through inhalation (breathing) and ingestion (eating). Employee exposure to lead can result in both acute (short term) and chronic (long term) health effects.
How can lead exposure be prevented?
The best way to prevent over-exposure to lead is to install and maintain engineering controls to eliminate or reduce the hazard. Examples of engineering and other controls include:
- Conduct bulk material analysis to determine if lead is present.
- Provide interim protection until air monitoring determines exposure levels.
- Use exhaust ventilation and dust collection systems. For example, power tools used for grinding surfaces coated with lead containing paint can be equipped with dust collection systems. Use local exhaust ventilation where feasible.
- Do not dry sweep or use compressed air to clean work areas contaminated with lead materials; use wet methods or a vacuum equipped with a high efficiency particulate (HEPA) filter.
- If engineering and work practice controls cannot be used or do not reduce exposure to an acceptable level, then the employer must provide respiratory protection. The type of respiratory protection required is based on the level of exposure determined by air monitoring. The minimum respirator required is a half mask, air-purifying respirator with HEPA filters. Remember, the employer must then implement a respiratory protection program as required by MIOSHA Part 451, Respiratory Protection.
- If respirators are used to protect employees, then a regulated area should be established to prevent unprotected employees from entering the exposure area.