Under state law, employers must provide training and supervision in working with lead, as well as adequate decontamination facilities and equipment for the job. The employer also must ensure that their lead exposed workers receive blood tests at least every two months for the first six months on a job, then every six months thereafter. Olhiser is part of a state lead and construction advisory committee that recently proposed a requirement for employers to notify Cal-OSHA before they start a job with a high level of lead exposure. Low levels of lead poisoning can cause mild fatigue, difficulty concentrating and sleep disturbances. Medium levels can cause headaches, sore muscles, tremors, nausea, abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhea, weight loss and decreased libido.
High levels can cause severe abdominal cramps, convulsions, delirium, seizures or coma.
Long-term consequences of lead poisoning include brain damage, learning and behavioral problems, hypertension, nerve disorders, kidney damage, decreased sperm count and contamination of breast milk. These standards set limits on regional air quality which state and federal governments monitor. The standards establish airborne limits for six criteria pollutants, including lead and PM-10. Lead and PM-10 emissions are often generated during industrial paint removal activities, especially when dry abrasive blast cleaning is used to removed old paint and corrosion products from steel. Industry Groups challenging more stringent air quality standards say that implementation will be difficult and that EPA exceeded Congressional authority when it chose to revise air quality standards.