The Four Most Common Factors for Occupational Lead Exposure

Lead exposure is hazardous to your health. While lead poisoning generally does not show any signs or symptoms until it is too late, the damage it could cause to your body are severe and irreparable. Illnesses caused by lead poisoning include anemia, infertility, damage to the brain and nervous system, and high blood pressure.

Adults are more at risk for lead poisoning from occupational lead exposure. How would you know if your workplace is liable for subjecting its employees to lead exposure? Here are the four most common factors for lead exposure in the workplace.

1. The building’s age. If you work in a building that was built before the 1970s or if the building is less than five years old, the possibility of you being exposed to lead is highly likely. The paint commonly used on buildings before the 1970s were lead-based. Lead pipes were also probably installed for plumbing.

As for newer buildings – less than five years old – the copper pipes used to install plumbing may have been soldered with lead. It takes at least five years for the mineral deposits found in water to coat the soldered parts and prevent contamination.

2. Lead dust at work. If you are employed as part of a painting and remodeling crew, your tasks naturally put you at great risk for lead exposure. Such tasks as sanding, grinding, blasting or scraping surfaces that have been coated with lead-based paint generate lead dust that you can breathe in.

The same goes for working with demolition crews or repair crews. Tearing down buildings that have been coated with paints containing lead also produce lead dust. Lead dust is also created by cutting through cables covered with lead.

3. Lead fumes at work. Working at industrial sites that work largely with heat and leaded metals can also result in occupational lead exposure. Soldering or welding surfaces and other materials containing lead as well as cutting lead-painted surfaces with blowtorches produce lead fumes that can be inhaled.

4. Hobbies using lead materials. You may not be employed at an industrial site or with a remodeling or demolition crew, but the hobbies that you pursue on the side can also result in occupational lead exposure. Examples of such are repairing boats or making your own fishing sinkers. If you are into making pottery or crafting your own jewelry, the chances of lead exposure are also high.

If you are working at a place where occupational lead exposure is a possibility, you should be aware of your rights as an employee regarding this matter. For one, it is your employer’s responsibility to inform you and your co-workers regarding the lead standards imposed by the government. Your employer should also have the air at the workplace monitored regularly and furnish you with the copy of the air monitoring results.

It is also your employer’s responsibility to get you and your co-workers tested for workplace lead exposure on a regular basis. This is done through either blood tests or saliva lead test and lead-specific medical examinations. If ever you do get occupational lead exposure, your company is supposed to transfer you to another job without deducting your pay or reducing your benefits.