Leave Lead At Work

You can carry lead home from work on your skin, hair, clothes, 

shoes, and personal items. If this happens, it is called take-home 

lead and can contaminate your car and home.

Because lead doesn’t break down, once it is in your car or home, it 

can be a source of lead exposure for you, the people who live with 

you, and your community.

If you are an adult, lead exposure may increase your risk of

high blood pressure heart disease kidney disease infertililty (inability to have children)

If you are pregnant, lead exposure may increase the risk of

miscarriage your baby being born too early harm to your baby’s brain, kidneys, 

and nervous system

In children, lead exposure may

damage the brain and nervous system slow growth and development cause hearing and speech problems

Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention

National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health
Take Home Lead: What can I do about it?

Before Work

■ Remember that anything you take to work can get lead on it. 

Bring as few personal items as possible to work.

■ When possible, bring food and water to work in containers 

that can be disposed of at work.

At Work

Don’t take lead home with you! Keeping lead out of your home 

and car is easier than cleaning it up. Cleaning up lead is hard and 

can be expensive.

When you arrive:

■ Change into work clothes and shoes that stay at your workplace.

■ Store your clean clothes, shoes, and personal items in a dedicated clean locker or in a closed container away from lead.

When you take breaks and lunch:

■ Always wash your hands with soap designed to remove lead 

before you eat, drink, touch your face, or smoke.

■ Eat, drink, and smoke only in approved places away from 

lead dust.

■ Never leave your work area without changing your clothes or at 

least washing your face, hands, and arms.

When you work with lead:

■ Always wear required personal protective equipment (PPE) 

correctly.

■ Avoid touching your face and mouth.

■ Clean your work area throughout the day.

■ Use a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) vacuum or wet 

methods to clean in places that have lead. 

■ Never dry sweep or use compressed air to clean up dust.

■ After working with lead or after cleaning your work area, 

wash your hands with soap designed to remove lead with 

proper handwashing techniques as soon as you can.

■ Do not remove PPE while in a lead work area. When removing PPE, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

When you are leaving work:

■ Don’t take home tools, scrap, and packaging that may have 

lead on them.

■ Always shower and wash your hair before leaving work. If 

you can’t shower at work:

o Wash as much of your skin as you can with soap 

designed to remove lead before going home.

o Change clothes and shoes before going home and leave dirty 

clothes and shoes at work for cleaning. 

■ If your workplace doesn’t clean your work clothes:

o Store work clothes in a closed plastic bag away from all 

other clothes.

o Wash and dry work clothes alone and not with any other 

clothes.

At Home

■ Never wear shoes in your home that you wore at work. Take 

off work shoes outside the car or home and store them in a 

closed plastic bag.

■ If you can’t shower at work, shower as soon as you 

get home. Do not touch household members or handle household items until after showering.

■ Clean your car and your home often. For hard floors 

and furniture, use wet cleaning methods. For carpets 

and fabrics, use a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter.

■ Use dedicated cleaning supplies to clean up lead. Do not use 

these supplies in the rest of the home. This will keep lead 

from spreading throughout your home.

At the Healthcare Provider’s Office

■ Tell your healthcare provider you work with lead. If your work 

doesn’t test your blood for lead, ask your healthcare provider if 

you should be tested.

■ Make sure everyone in your household tells their healthcare 

provider they live with someone who works with lead. Healthcare providers especially need to know if you are pregnant or 

trying to become pregnant, and if children live or spend time 

in your household.

NIOSH is the U.S. federal agency that conducts research and makes 

recommendations to prevent worker injury and illness. NIOSH was established under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. It is part of the 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services. 

Suggested Citation

NIOSH [2023]. Leave lead at work. By Couch J, Rinsky J, Grimes R, Carlson K, Reynolds L, Burnett G, Tsai R. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2024-101 (revised 

10/2023). https://doi.org/1.26616/NIOSHPUB2024101revised102023.

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DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2024-101 (revised 10/2023)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB2024101revised102023

October 2023