Lead Exposure Management

Veronica Hoban, Lead Program Manager
Lead Management Program
Phone: 619-594-1858 <vhoban@mail.sdsu.edu>

Environmental Health & Safety has implemented a Lead Management Program. The program is based largely on the federal OSHA and Cal/ OSHA requirements to protect workers from occupational exposures to lead, but also addresses measures to prevent childhood lead poisoning and mandatory requirements for the disclosure of lead-based paint (LBP) hazards in target housing. SDSU’s Lead Program Manager is Veronica Hoban, 619-594-1858 <vhoban@mail.sdsu.edu>.

• SDSU maintenance personnel involved in construction activities

• Contractors involved in construction activities

• Residents of target housing managed by SDSU Foundation

• Children at SDSU operated daycare centers

• Building occupants

• Lead (Pb) is a heavy, soft, malleable bluish metal. Lead is mined from the earth in the form of ores.

• Once extracted from the ores and processed into its pure elemental form, lead persists indefinitely in the environment.

• Inhalation and ingestion of lead are the major routes of exposure for both children and adults.

• Infants and young children are most often exposed to lead through the ingestion (hand-to-mouth activity) of lead contaminated dust and soil (sometimes introduced into the home on the parents work clothes).

• Adults are most often exposed to lead through occupational exposures.

• The 3 major sources of lead are:

• Lead-based paint (primers, topcoats and varnishes)

• Roofing components

• Electrical conduits

• Electrical storage batteries

• Plumbing — solder, brass or bronze fitting/ fixtures and water service lines and interior household piping

• Imported miniblinds

• Once lead enters the body, from inhalation or ingestion, it is distributed via the bloodstream to the red blood cells, soft tissue and bones.

• Lead serves no useful purpose in the body. Lead is a poison that impairs vital biological reactions throughout the body, particularly in the cardiovascular system, the brain and peripheral nervous system, and the kidneys.

• Lead can cause serious damage to these systems; and the damage may be permanent or fatal.

• Chronic lead poisoning results after lead has accumulated (mostly in the bone) in the body over time. Adverse health effects may appear long after the exposure to lead has ceased, and are usually triggered by a physiological event such as illness, injury or pregnancy:

• Acute lead poisoning results after a significant amount of lead has entered the body over a short period of time. The primary health effects involve gastrointestinal distress, destruction of red blood cells and serious brain swelling.

• Symptoms of less severe acute lead poisonings are non-specific:

• Warning symptoms of more severe acute lead poisonings include:

• Children are especially vulnerable and susceptible to lead poisoning. Even low levels of persistent exposures may lead to adverse health effects without the appearance of obvious symptoms:

SDSU employees who are involved with construction work may come into contact with lead or lead-containing materials when they engage in the following general construction-related activities:

• Demolition or salvage of structures where lead is present

• Alteration, repair or renovations of structures or structural components that contain lead

• Removal or encapsulation of structural components that contain lead

• New construction and the installation of new products that contain lead

• Cleanup and emergency response to lead contamination

• Transportation, disposal, storage or containment of lead / lead containing materials at the construction site

• Maintenance operations associated with the construction activities described above. Specific construction-related tasks (trigger tasks) include:

° manual scraping, manual sanding, and heat gun applications on surfaces with lead-based paint
° application of lead-based paint
° application of lead-based mortar
° lead burning
° rivet busting on surfaces with lead-based paint
° abrasive blasting of surfaces with lead-based paint, the subsequent cleanup of any dry expendable abrasives, and the removal or movement of the abrasive blasting enclosure
° cleaning of power tools that have been used on surfaces with lead-based paint
° welding on surfaces with lead-based paint
° cutting on surfaces with lead-based paint
° torch burning on surfaces with lead-based paint

Because neither Federal OSHA nor Cal/ OSHA defines a “de-minimus” level of lead, the presence of lead at any level triggers the worker protection requirements. Mandatory and voluntary worker protection measures that are part of SDSU’s program include:

• Training

• Certifications

• Work permit approval system

• Pre-project sampling and analysis

• Medical surveillance and biological monitoring

• Medical removal

• Respiratory protection program

• Personal protective equipment (PPE)

• Exposure assessment/ personal monitoring

• Hygiene facilities and practices (showers, change areas, hand washing facilities and eating facilities)

• Housekeeping

• Engineering controls

• Mechanical ventilation

• Work practice controls “state-of-the-art”

• Administrative controls

• Written compliance plan

• Hazard communication/ notification

• Warning signs

• Record keeping


	Business and Financial Affairs > Environmental Health and Safety >
	Environmental Health and Safety Lead Exposure Management Veronica Hoban, Lead Program Manager Lead Management Program Phone: 619-594-1858 <vhoban@mail.sdsu.edu> Environmental Health & Safety has implemented a Lead Management Program. The program is based largely on the federal OSHA and Cal/ OSHA requirements to protect workers from occupational exposures to lead, but also addresses measures to prevent childhood lead poisoning and mandatory requirements for the disclosure of lead-based paint (LBP) hazards in target housing. SDSU’s Lead Program Manager is Veronica Hoban, 619-594-1858 <vhoban@mail.sdsu.edu>. 1. Who does the program protect? • SDSU maintenance personnel involved in construction activities • Contractors involved in construction activities • Residents of target housing managed by SDSU Foundation • Children at SDSU operated daycare centers • Building occupants 2. What is lead? • Lead (Pb) is a heavy, soft, malleable bluish metal. Lead is mined from the earth in the form of ores. • Once extracted from the ores and processed into its pure elemental form, lead persists indefinitely in the environment. 3. What are the primary sources of lead exposure? • Inhalation and ingestion of lead are the major routes of exposure for both children and adults. • Infants and young children are most often exposed to lead through the ingestion (hand-to-mouth activity) of lead contaminated dust and soil (sometimes introduced into the home on the parents work clothes). • Adults are most often exposed to lead through occupational exposures. • The 3 major sources of lead are: ° Lead-based paint ° Urban soil and dust (deposition from paint, gasoline additives and industrial sources) ° Drinking water (contamination from lead solder, brass fittings and fixtures, and service lines) 4. Where are lead and lead-containing materials found? • Lead-based paint (primers, topcoats and varnishes) • Roofing components • Electrical conduits • Electrical storage batteries • Plumbing — solder, brass or bronze fitting/ fixtures and water service lines and interior household piping • Imported miniblinds 5. What are the adverse health effects of lead? • Once lead enters the body, from inhalation or ingestion, it is distributed via the bloodstream to the red blood cells, soft tissue and bones. • Lead serves no useful purpose in the body. Lead is a poison that impairs vital biological reactions throughout the body, particularly in the cardiovascular system, the brain and peripheral nervous system, and the kidneys. • Lead can cause serious damage to these systems; and the damage may be permanent or fatal. • Chronic lead poisoning results after lead has accumulated (mostly in the bone) in the body over time. Adverse health effects may appear long after the exposure to lead has ceased, and are usually triggered by a physiological event such as illness, injury or pregnancy: ° impaired hemoglobin synthesis ° hypertension ° alteration in the central and peripheral nervous systems ° damage to the male and female reproductive systems ° damage to developing fetus (lead freely crosses the placenta) • Acute lead poisoning results after a significant amount of lead has entered the body over a short period of time. The primary health effects involve gastrointestinal distress, destruction of red blood cells and serious brain swelling. • Symptoms of less severe acute lead poisonings are non-specific: ° abdominal pain (evolving over days to weeks) ° constipation ° irritability ° fatigue ° weakness ° muscle pain • Warning symptoms of more severe acute lead poisonings include: ° vomiting ° irritability and restlessness ° progressive drowsiness ° tremors and seizures ° coma ° death • Children are especially vulnerable and susceptible to lead poisoning. Even low levels of persistent exposures may lead to adverse health effects without the appearance of obvious symptoms: ° learning and behavioral problems ° long-term impacts on intelligence, motor control, hearing and emotional development ° retardation 6. How can SDSU employees prevent occupational lead exposures? SDSU employees who are involved with construction work may come into contact with lead or lead-containing materials when they engage in the following general construction-related activities: • Demolition or salvage of structures where lead is present • Alteration, repair or renovations of structures or structural components that contain lead • Removal or encapsulation of structural components that contain lead • New construction and the installation of new products that contain lead • Cleanup and emergency response to lead contamination • Transportation, disposal, storage or containment of lead / lead containing materials at the construction site • Maintenance operations associated with the construction activities described above. Specific construction-related tasks (trigger tasks) include: ° manual scraping, manual sanding, and heat gun applications on surfaces with lead-based paint ° application of lead-based paint ° application of lead-based mortar ° lead burning ° rivet busting on surfaces with lead-based paint ° abrasive blasting of surfaces with lead-based paint, the subsequent cleanup of any dry expendable abrasives, and the removal or movement of the abrasive blasting enclosure ° cleaning of power tools that have been used on surfaces with lead-based paint ° welding on surfaces with lead-based paint ° cutting on surfaces with lead-based paint ° torch burning on surfaces with lead-based paint Because neither Federal OSHA nor Cal/ OSHA defines a “de-minimus” level of lead, the presence of lead at any level triggers the worker protection requirements. Mandatory and voluntary worker protection measures that are part of SDSU’s program include: • Training • Certifications • Work permit approval system • Pre-project sampling and analysis • Medical surveillance and biological monitoring • Medical removal • Respiratory protection program • Personal protective equipment (PPE) • Exposure assessment/ personal monitoring • Hygiene facilities and practices (showers, change areas, hand washing facilities and eating facilities) • Housekeeping • Engineering controls • Mechanical ventilation • Work practice controls “state-of-the-art” • Administrative controls • Written compliance plan • Hazard communication/ notification • Warning signs • Record keeping
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Environmental Health and Safety

Lead Exposure Management