These workers knew what the risks were and how to protect themselves, Reynolds said. This suggests that training, implementation of engineering controls and proper use of protective equipment such as respirators are effective in controlling lead exposure, he said. At the time, OSHA also released provisions that included requirements for employer-laundered work clothing, shower and change facilities, and employee training on the hazards of lead. These provisions are required only for workers with airborne lead exposures exceeding the OSHA standard. Lead exposure among construction workers is still a problem, but it's preventable, Reynolds said.
Construction is a tough environment to control.
It's not like an industrial setting, where everything is enclosed and easier to deal with. But there are some things that can be done to protect this workforce and, by extension, protect their families from secondary exposure. One important intervention, he said, is to make lead exposure controls part of construction project specifications before contracts are bid. The study results were published in the August 1999 issue of the American Journal of Industrial Medicine. UI researchers studied more than 450 construction workers to examine blood lead concentrations and identify risk factors for lead exposure among these workers.