# Presentation: 662634

## A Closer Look at State Certified Lead Abatement Workers and Supervisors and the Adult Lead Registry

- Amy Sims
- 	Michigan ABLES Program Coordinator
- Kenneth Rosenman, MD
- 	Professor of Medicine
- Michigan State University
- June 27, 2007

## Summary of ABLES Protocol in Michigan

- Laboratory results are reported to the State Health Department
- _>_ 16 years, reports are forwarded to MSU
- Interview:
- _>_25 μg/dL – all
- _>_10-24 μg/dL – if source of exposure unknown
- OSHA inspection if _>_25 μg/dL
- Letter to physician who ordered blood lead
- 	(diagnosis and management of lead toxicity in adults)
- Letter to individual
- 	(i.e., lead brochure, remodeling, firearms brochure)

## www.michigan.gov/leadsafe

**www.michigan.gov/leadsafe**

## Certified Lead Professionals & Firms

- Michigan Lead Abatement Act

## Certified Lead Professionals & Firms

**Certified Workers** and **Supervisors**
**Certified Inspectors** and **Risk Assessors**

## Certified Lead Professionals & Firms

**Inspectors, Risk Assessors**, and **Clearance Technicians**
**Certified [licensed] lead abatement firms**

## Databases

- Lead abatement workers as of 3/14/06: 277
- Lead abatement supervisors as of 3/14/06: 1,686
- ABLES registry, 1997 to 3/16/06: 77,090

## Certified Lead Abatement Workers, Matching

- Social Security Number = 35 (definite matches)
- Name = 43 (possible matches)
- Manual Match = 4 (possible matches)
- Unmatchable = 186 (non-matches)
- Name match, different SSN = 9 (non-matches)
- TOTAL = 277

## Certified Lead Abatement Supervisors, Matching

- Social Security Number = 128 (definite matches)
- Name = 260 (possible matches)
- Manual Match = 31 (possible matches)
- Unmatchable = 1,221 (non-matches)
- Name match, different SSN = 46 (non-matches)
- TOTAL = 1,686

## Certified Lead Abatement Workers, Results

- Workers – 277 certified
- 12.6% (35) definite matches
- 			(matched on SSN and name)
- 17.0% (47) possible matches
- (matched on name only; SSN missing from one or both databases)
- 29.6% (82) total (definite + possible)

**Certified Lead Abatement Workers, Results**

## Supervisors – 1,686 certified
7.6% (128) definite matches
				(matched on SSN and name)
17.3% (291) possible matches
(matched on name only; SSN missing from one or both databases)
24.9% (419) total (definite + possible)

- Supervisors – 1,686 certified
- 7.6% (128) definite matches
- 				(matched on SSN and name)
- 17.3% (291) possible matches
- (matched on name only; SSN missing from one or both databases)
- 24.9% (419) total (definite + possible)

**Certified Lead Abatement Supervisors, Results**

## Results of Lead Abatement Workers and Supervisors, Definite Matches, Distribution of Blood Lead Levels

| Blood Lead Level
(μg/dL) | Workers |  | Supervisors |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | Number | Percent | Number | Percent |
| < 10 | 28 | 80.0 | 109 | 85.2 |
| 10-24 | 6 | 17.1 | 14 | 10.9 |
| 25-29 | 1 | 2.9 | 3 | 2.3 |
| 30-39 | 0 | -- | 2 | 1.6 |
| TOTAL | 35 | 100.0 | 128 | 100.0 |

## 3, report good controls
1, reports no separate locker for work and street clothes, no place to shower, keeps respirator in cabinet
1, reports no separate locker for work and street clothes, no place to shower, keeps respirator in company tool trailer

- 1, reports no separate locker for work and street clothes, no place to shower, keeps respirator in cabinet
- 1, reports no separate locker for work and street clothes, no place to shower, keeps respirator in company tool trailer

**Results of Five Completed Interviews Representing Five Different Employers**

## Estimate of Percentage of Workers Exposed to Lead Who HaveBlood Lead Testing

- Study in CA, early 1990s
- 8% of employees from radiator repair facilities
- 34% of employees from secondary smelters
- (American Journal of Public Health 1992;82:1113-1118)
- Overall it was estimated that <3% of employees in CA exposed to lead were provided blood lead testing by their employer.
- (American Journal of Public Health 1990;80:921-925)
- On a national basis it was estimated that <12% of companies using lead provided blood lead testing for their employees.
- (American Journal of Public Health 1992;82:1113-1118)

## Reasons for Lack of Blood Lead Testing

- No requirements to have medical monitoring with blood lead, only Michigan OSHA standards
- Some people get certified and never do lead removal work
- Difficulty in enforcing OSHA lead standard in construction

## Future Interventions

- Discussions with Michigan OSHA about conducting enforcement inspections of work sites where certified workers/supervisors are present

## Future Directions

- Agencies that certify lead abatement workers and supervisors obtain unique personal identifiers so as to check against the adult lead registry
- Encourage more blood lead testing by employers (i.e., made part of the certification requirements)
- Michigan OSHA or State Health Department to follow-up with employers with employees with elevated blood lead levels, and those employers not performing blood lead testing

## Slide 18

## Slide 19

## Slide 20

## Acknowledgements

- Wesley Priem, Section Manager
-   Lead and Healthy Home Section
-   Michigan Department of Community Health
- Daniel Lince, Compliance Officer
-   Lead and Health Home Section
-   Michigan Department of Community Health

## 2005 Annual Report onBlood Lead Levels on Adults and Children in Michigan

- A Joint Report of
- Michigan State University, Department of Medicine
- Kenneth D. Rosenman, M.D., Professor of Medicine
- Amy S. Sims, ABLES Program Coordinator
- And
- Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth
- Management and Technical Services Division
- Douglas J. Kalinowski, Director

## www.oem.msu.edu

## Questions & Comments

- Amy.Sims@ht.msu.edu
- Rosenman@msu.edu
- www.oem.msu.edu

## References

- Baser ME. The Development of Registries for Surveillance of Adult Lead Exposure, 1981 to 1992. American Journal of Public Health. 1992;82:1113-1118.
- Rudolph L, Sharp DS, Samuels S, Perkins C, Rosenberg J. Environmental and Biological Monitoring for Lead Exposure in California Workplaces. American Journal of Public Health 1990;80:921-925.