Industrial Hygiene in Construction

When taking blood lead levels, the occupational health clinic will typically measure both the lead in the blood, and the zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP). The reason for this is the blood lead level measures just that, only the lead in the blood – which can come from previous exposures and whatever amount has been stored in your bones (soft tissues). It really only gives one piece of information. An early indicator of  lead exposure is the ZPP level.

The ZPP level indicates lead absorption. If your ZPP levels are elevated, this may mean that lead is being absorbed into your body (affecting the heme synthesis pathway). However, an elevated ZPP can be caused by other things, including iron deficiency anemia, etc.

If you have elevated ZPPs, you need to find out what is causing it. If you’re working with lead, you may have overexposure. If this is the case, your blood lead levels will most likely elevate in 2-6 weeks.

Ask your occupational health clinic for ranges of acceptable blood lead levels and ZPP levels.

I recently gave a safety presentation to a large group of pile bucks (for those who don’t know, these are highly trained workers who drive pilings into the ground, among other things). All of my preplanning for the presentation was for nothing.

The projector didn’t work (I did have a backup, but not enough time to get it ready). And, as I was being introduced, they requested I also cover an entirely new topic that I hadn’t prepared for… I was scared.

The presentation actually went well. I wasn’t tied to my notes or slides…I had a lot of interaction with the crowd and they asked questions and commented on specific issues they deal with on projects. I didn’t look at my computer, prompter, or behind me. I took less time to cover the same points. I looked at everyone in the crowd and was able to engage them and change my presentation(slightly) based upon their reactions, comments, and interests.

Afterwards, I realized they learned. Maybe not as many “facts”, or points on the subject, but they sure remembered the main objectives:  Be safe. Use caution. Think ahead.

I am going to attempt more presentation just like this.

I have seen presentations given like this, but I never have the guts, or confidence, to do it that way. In fact, thinking back, I had read a blog (Seth Godin) of these exact things to do. I hit almost all of them….by accident.

Here’s my top 10 recommendations as it relates to Construction Industrial Hygiene:

You know those lead testing kits from the hardware store?  They seem extremely handy, however, they are a bit misleading.

LEAD CHECK ™ and LEAD ALERT ™ use a chemical (rodizonate-based) to instantly tell you if you have lead in your paint. If you use this kit, and the color changes, you have lead present.

They are quick and easy, but have a few HUGE downsides.

• OSHA has stated in a letter of interpretation (7/2003) that these should not be used for determining if lead isn’t present. In other words, you can’t rely on a test that says, “no lead!”
• These kits only check the “top layer” of paint – not the coat of paint below the one you are testing. You must test each layer.
• These kits will not tell you how much lead you have (what percentage). You knew these kits didn’t do this already, but this is useful information!
• Some chemicals may interfere with these type of kits. If you have chromium in your paint, the kit may say there is no lead present, but in fact, the chromium has interfered with the true results.

The biggest issue is that you need to have objective air monitoring to prove that your airborne levels of lead are not overexposing your employees.  A true bulk test (of paint) gives you great information. It tells you the percentage of lead in the paint. This, and your air sampling data, can be used again for future projects. It will also tell you which colors of paint have the highest lead.  Be safe out there!

I recently heard a very good summary of when (or alternatively when-you-DON’T) need to perform air monitoring when working with lead in construction.

Is there leaded-paint (lead based paint) in your project?

• Then you MUST comply with the OSHA lead in construction rules.

On what occasion do I NOT have to perform air monitoring?

• if you don’t have lead (see the first question)
• if you want to provide the minimum required protection for all of your exposed employees (respirators, blood lead monitoring, etc. etc.)
• if you have historical air monitoring data (from another project) that supports the methods you are using

Otherwise (in summary):

• Take a bulk sample of the paint
• Set up all engineering & administrative controls for controlling dust
• Train your employees
• Perform air monitoring during the FIRST day of actual work
• Continue with all controls through the project
• Notify everyone onsite of results
• Require that all subcontractor do the same process

Did you know that there are two ways to get industrial hygiene sampling for free? I know, there’s always a catch, but below are my favorites.

1. OSHA

Obviously if you have an inspection and they perform air monitoring, you can use this information. Hang onto it! Get the field notes from the inspector so that, if necessary, you can reproduce these results. There is also (in some states with state-run plans) a separate division who can provide consultative air monitoring and/or assessments. I strongly urge employers to use this method. While your company is under consultation, they are under obligation to NOT allow an inspection (there are caveats).

2. Insurance carrier
   Your company’s insurance carrier can many times provide industrial hygiene services. This might come from your worker’s compensation carrier, your general liability carrier, and sometimes even your agent. If you have a legitimate concern and are able to wait to meet their schedule, this is a very attractive option.
3. The General Contractor
   If your GC has hired an IH consulting firm for a similar type process that you are performing, see if they will also take a sample on one of your employees.
4. Your Sub Contractor
   If you’ve hired a subcontractor to provide abatement for asbestos, or lead, request that they also perform a test on one of your employees. Sometimes even a sub-level tier will provide this as a courtesy.

I think the key to each of these is being nice. If you are a jerk, or attempt to strong-arm your GC or sub into this, it will never happen. In the safety world, most people want to help- that is why they got into this business in the first place.

There are many distinct, separate, and important issues when entering a confined space. The point I would like to make is, as a manager of “safety” , Do you allow your employees to enter a confined space?

Most employers do (with consent, acquiesce ). Below are some questions to consider.

• Do employees know what a confined space is? (see OSHA definition)
• Do they know if it is a permit required space?
• Have they been trained? (this is a separate question)
• Do you control the space? What about the space around it? (what about the space where the air/water comes from?)
• Would you allow any employee to enter?
• Who would you NOT allow? (subcontractors? safety personnel? inspectors?)
• What paperwork/training would you want to see if you did allow these people to enter?

The management of confined spaces is by far the most critical piece. The space could be as innocent as a treehouse, or as dangerous as sewer hole immediately dangerous to life and health.

This is a big distinction when evaluating a workplace.

If you find an overexposure (or simply a real-exposure), then it is prudent, and expected, to look for employees with possible symptoms.

If employees have symptoms (especially those nondescript ones, like; nausea, dizzyness, and fatigue) it is much harder to say they have an exposure. You really can’t make that assumption without more information.

For example, if you have cancer, do you assume it is from all the bad food you ate during your lifetime? or, is from multiple factors? On the flip side, if you are a pile driver for 30 years and at the age of 60 you find that you have hearing loss, everyone assumes it’s from your job.

However, a lot of industrial hygiene work comes from “my employees have these symptoms”. The hard part is taking that information and determining if there is concern in the workplace.

There is high demand!

See EHS article, which summarizes the NIOSH findings on the future of EHS jobs.

Yahoo Finance  (look at #6, but the information is a bit off)

If you’re wondering what the heck IH’s do…

• Remember that this is a technical-based career….you have to like science, chemicals, or physics.
• an Oklahoma article
• the standard answer: AIHA,
• another source: industrial hygiene support.

It’s a great career that offers challenges, diversity (as opposed to the daily grind) and… sometimes, you even help people! (ha).

This is cutting edge here, folks. A “new” mineral has been found to cause mesothelioma. As you might know, asbestos exposure can cause 3 diseases; 1. asbestosis, 2. lung cancer, and 3. mesothelioma. Previously it was thought that only asbestos exposures could cause asbestosis and mesothelioma. (Side: This is why late-night attorney’s wonder if you have those diseases….if you do, you were exposed at some point)

However, there is a new suspect: Erionite. (wiki it here)

This new mineral has been documented to cause mesothelioma and has asbestos-like physical properties.

The mineral is found in many places, near volcanoes. Below is a map from the fairwarning.org site.  Also, here is a link to the MSN republish of the fairwarning article. I guarantee there will be more news  in the media about this in the future. Here is the scientific article from University of Hawaii.