Lead Training Guide
(Taken from the "Tailgate Meetings that Work : A Guide
to Effective Construction Safety Training" series) |
|
Robin Baker, Robert
Downey, Mary Ruth Gross, Charles Reiter
Labor Occupational Health Program
(LOHP) School of Public Health,
University of California, Berkeley Ca.
These tailgate/toolbox
talks were developed for use under California OSHA regulations. The
complete set is available from the Labor Occupational Health Program
at UC Berkeley. For ordering information, visit the website (www.lohp.org)
The American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH)
has adapted these talks to apply to federal OSHA regulations. To contact
ACGIH, visit its web site (www.acgih.org). |
Before you begin
the meeting...
- Does this
topic relate to the work the crew is doing? If not, choose another topic.
- Has the crew completed
basic Hazard Communications training? It will help them understand this
topic.
- Did you read
this Training Guide and fill in the blanks where the
appears? (To find the information you need, look over the Safety Walkaround
Checklist for this topic.)
Begin: This
meeting is about preventing exposure to lead on the job. You might think
that the only people who have to worry are those who do lead removal work.
Thats just not true. There can be a problem on any job if
you scrape, grind, cut, or disturb surfaces that contain lead. Lead is
common in old surface coatings. And even today, many bridges and industrial
buildings are still painted with lead-based paint.
The law says you need special training to work with any significant amount
of lead. You need to learn about respirators, protective clothing, special
work methods, and other safety precautions. We cant give you all
this information in a few minutes. What we can do today is make sure everyone
is aware of the dangers of lead.
You or a crew member may want to add a personal story about lead.
|
Next, discuss
with the crew where there may be a danger of lead exposure at this
particular job site. Explain what testing has been done, and where
the levels may be high.
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
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ASK
THE CREW THESE QUESTIONS:
|
After each question,
give the crew time to suggest possible answers. Use the information
following each question to add points that no one mentions.
1. What are some symptoms you might notice if you are exposed to lead?
headaches
trouble sleeping
fatigue
reduced sex drive |
mood changes (irritability, depression)
loss of appetite
stomach pain
pain, weakness, or twitching in muscles |
2. If you dont
pay attention to these symptoms and reduce your lead exposure,
you can get seriously ill from lead poisoning. Does anyone know what diseases
can be caused by high, long-term exposure to lead?
•
anemia
• kidney damage |
•
reproductive problems (including impotence and infertility)
• brain and nervous system damage |
3. What are some
jobs on a construction site that might expose you to lead?
- Renovating or
demolishing structures that have lead-painted surfaces.
- Spray painting
with lead-based paint, or removing lead-based paint.
- Sandblasting
bridges or steel structures that are painted with lead.
- Grinding, cutting,
or torching metal surfaces that are painted with lead.
- Welding, cutting,
or removing pipes, joints, or duct work that contain lead or are painted
with lead.
- Using solder
that contains lead.
- Cutting or stripping
lead-sheathed cable.
- Heating some
roofing products, or dissolving them with solvents. (Fumes from hypalon
coatings, cover strips, flashing, splice tape, and seam tape can contain
lead oxide.)
- Cleaning up sites
where there is lead dust.
4. We have already
tried to identify all possible sources of lead on this job. But what if
you run across something youre not sure of? How can you find out if
there is lead in the material you are working with?
- If youre
working with old coatings, pipes, or similar materials that might
contain lead, send a sample to a lab to be analyzed.
- If necessary,
the company can bring in a qualified professional to measure the lead
dust level in the air with instruments. This is called air monitoring.
- When in doubt
if there is lead, ask!
- If youre
working with a new product (like paint), read its Material Safety
Data Sheet (MSDS). The MSDS should tell you the ingredients and
possible health hazards.
5. If theres
lead around, what precautions can you take to avoid getting exposed?
- Use safe work
practices. For example, work in a well-ventilated area. To reduce
dust, vacuum up debris, dont sweep it up. Use a HEPA filter
on equipment like
sanders and vacuums. Wet down paints and coatings youre removing
to keep dust out
of the air. Isolate any work areas that contain lead, and post warning
signs.
- Dont
eat, drink, or smoke on the job. Anything you put in your mouth
may be
contaminated with lead.
- If necessary,
use personal protective equipment (PPE) like gloves, special clothing, and a respirator. If you use a respirator, we
must provide the right type,
make sure it fits properly, teach you how to use it, and give you a
physical to make
sure youre able to wear it safely.
|
Explain
all protective measures required on this job-work practices, PPE,
etc.:
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
(PPE and Respirators are covered in more detail in separate Training
Guides.)
|
6.
If youve been working around lead, why is it important to change
your clothes
and wash up before you go home?
- You might accidentally
take lead dust home on your clothes or in your car. At home, it
could contaminate your furniture and rugs. Its especially dangerous
to small kids, who
like to put things into their mouths.
|
Explain
cleanup procedures on this site how and where to clean up,
what to do with contaminated clothing, etc.:
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
|
7. Cal/OSHA says
anyone who is exposed to a large amount of lead, even for a day,
must get a blood test. Why are blood lead tests required?
- They tell you
how much lead is circulating in your blood. If your blood lead level
is too high, Cal/OSHA says you must be given a work assignment away
from lead, with no loss of pay.
- The tests dont
tell you how much lead is stored in your bones. Lead can be stored in
the bones for long periods and released into the bloodstream later.
- You should get
a baseline blood test before you begin to work around lead,
so later you can make sure your blood lead level is not going up.
- Cal/OSHA says
that all required blood lead tests must be paid for by your employer.
Explain:
Most of the safety measures weve talked about are required by Cal/OSHA.
We have to take these precautionsits the law. For example,
Cal/OSHA requires us to have a written lead compliance program. Copies
are available for you to see. Cal/OSHA also says we must make sure no
one on the site is exposed to more than 50 micrograms of lead per cubic
meter of air, averaged over an 8-hour shift. This is called the
permissible exposure limit (PEL) for lead. I have a Checklist of the
Cal/OSHA regulations on lead. If youd like to know more, see me
after the meeting.
(Only if applicable.)
Besides the Cal/OSHA regulations, we have some additional company rules
about working with lead.
|
Discuss
company rules:______________________________
_________________________________________________
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Ask:
Do you have any
other concerns about lead? Do you see any problems on our job? (Let
the steward answer first, if there is one.)
What about other jobs youve worked on? Have you had any experience
with lead exposure that might help us work safer on this job?
GENERAL
SAFETY DISCUSSION
|
This is a time
to discuss all safety concerns, not just today's topic. Keep your notes
on this page before, during and after the safety meeting.
Are you aware
of any hazards from other crews? Point out any hazards other crews
are creating that this crew should know about. Tell the crew what you
intend to do about those hazards.
Do we have any
old business? Discuss past issues/problems. Report progress of
investigations and action taken.
Any new business?
Any accidents/near misses/complaints? Discuss accidents, near misses,
and complaints that have happened since the last safety meting. Also recognize
the safety contributions made by members of the crew.
Please remember,
we want to hear from you about any health and safety issues that come
up. If we don't know about problems, we can't take action to fix them.
To complete the
training session:
- Circulate Sign-Off
Form.
- Assign one
or more crew member(s) to help with next safety meeting.
- Refer action
items for follow-up. (Use the sample Hazard Report Form in the
Reference Section of this binder, or your companys own form.)
Date Prepared:_________________________ |
By:_______________________ |
Project
Name/No.______________________ |
Location:__________________ |
NAMES
OF THOSE WHO ATTENDED THIS SAFETY MEETING
|
Tailgate
Meetings That Work : Collection
Published in June, 1994 by: Labor Occupational Health Program, School
of Public Health, 2515 Channing Way, University of California, Berkeley,
CA 94720. Phone: (510) 642-5507.
Permission is granted to duplicate these materials for non-profit educational
purposes, provided that copies are not offered for sale.
This paper appears in the eLCOSH website with the permission of the author
and/or copyright holder and may not be reproduced without their consent.
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