In this manner, lead is particularly dangerous to small children, but can also poison adults. Once in the bloodstream, lead can concentrate in the organs or in the bones and produce long-term effects as it leaches back into the bloodstream over time. Lead can enter the bloodstream by being breathed and absorbed through the lungs, or by being ingested and absorbed through the digestive system. All of these controls provide a benefit by reducing worker health risks. Engineering controls should be applied as-practical without sacrificing the quality of the work and balancing associated costs.
Respirators come in various forms.
Each type of respirator has a particular assigned protection factor. This is the factor of hazard reduction associated with the particular respirator. Although exposure levels vary from job to job, for abrasive blasting inside of containment, a 1000X rated respirator is generally required. Since exposure levels for workers vary greatly depending on worker job description, containment design and operation, and other site-specific conditions, respirator selection and use should consider these factors. The key to hygiene practices is to eliminate inhalation and ingestion of that dust by the worker while on the jobsite and to keep the worker from taking the lead hazard off the jobsite to expose others in their personal vehicles or homes.