Reduction of Lead Hazards During Construction - a PDH Online Course for Engineers, Architects and Surveyors

Reduction of Lead Hazards During Construction

Course Outline

Employers must be aware of workplace hazards facing their workers and must take appropriate action to minimize or eliminate exposure to these hazards. The interim OSHA standard aims to reduce the exposure to lead for construction workers. The most significant way to achieve this was by lowering the permissible exposure limit (PEL) from 200 micrograms per cubic meter of air as an 8-hour time weighted average (TWA) to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air.

This three-hour course will review the new interim OSHA standards for lead exposure during construction activities. For the purpose of this standard, lead includes metallic lead, all inorganic lead compounds, and organic lead soaps. OSHA's lead in construction standard applies to all construction work where an employee may be occupationally exposed to lead. All work related to construction, alteration, or repair, including painting and decorating, is included.

Lead is a cumulative and toxic substance. People who swallow or inhale lead compounds may become ill or die from lead poisoning. Although lead is eliminated from the body at a slow rate, inhaling even a small amount of a lead compound over an extended period of time may cause lead poisoning. Immediate symptoms of disease may not be noticeable. As the blood is circulated through the body, lead is stored in various organs and body tissues. The lead stored in the body may be slowly causing irreversible damage: first to the cells, then to the organs, and finally to the whole body system.

Engineering controls reduce employee exposure in the workplace either by removing or isolating the hazard or isolating the worker from exposure through the use of technology. Under the lead in construction standard, mechanical ventilation may be used to control lead exposure. If used, the employer must evaluate, as necessary, the mechanical performance of the system in controlling exposure to maintain its effectiveness.

The course is based upon the U.S. Department of Labor's Program Highlights fact sheet series (Fact Sheet No.'s OSHA 93-47 through 93-52) concerning the topic of lead in construction, combined with information from a U.S. OSHA booklet titled Lead in Construction (OSHA 3142). Additional material was provided by North Carolina Department of Labor Health Standards Officer J. Edgar Geddie, Ph.D, and Health Compliance Supervisor Paul Sullivan.

This course is based entirely on "A Guide to Lead Exposure in the Construction Industry" published by the N.C. Department of Labor. This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of course materials. You will be quizzed on the attached document in its entirety.

Note:
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has banned the use of lead-based paint in residential application. However, since lead-based paint inhibits the rusting and corrosion of iron and steel, it is still used on bridges, railways, ships, lighthouses, and other steel structures, although substitute coatings are available.

Learning Objective

This course reviews the following topics:

Safe work practices (to reduced lead exposure);
Review of interior surface preparation;
Selection of correct respiration equipment;
Review of HEPA filter-equipped vacuum cleaners;
Review of allowable lead blood levels;
Review of allowable lead air concentrations;
Engineering Controls;
Work Practice Controls;
Protective gear; and
OSHA requirements for record keeping.

Intended Audience

This course would be very informative for engineers or architects who are involved with the construction industry.

Course Introduction

This course will review suggested methods to reduced lead contamination, which can occur during construction and industrial processes.

This course is intended to be consistent with all existing OSHA standards; therefore, if an area is considered by the reader to be inconsistent with a standard, then the OSHA standard should be followed.

Course Content

This course is based entirely on "A Guide to Lead Exposure in the Construction Industry" published by the N.C. Department of Labor .

The link to the course materials is as follows:

A Guide to Lead Exposure in the Construction Industry

You need to open or download above document to study this course.

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.