Polytronic Lead Management Training

• Heavy metal at room temperature • Bluish-gray • Low melting point • Pliable • Corrosion resistant • Can form lead compounds

What is Lead?

Where do you find it?

• Gasoline (phase-out began 1980) • Smelting • Lead batteries (25-78% of all lead used in U.S.) • Paints and coatings • Solder • Auto manufacturing • Printing • Ammunition

Ways in which lead enters the body • Inhalation - Breathing lead fumes or dust.

This is the most common route of entry in the workplace.

• Ingestion - Swallowing lead dust via food, cigarettes etc.

• Absorption – Can be absorbed through the skin

Risk Factors • Workers who are pregnant or breastfeeding should be advised to seek alternative duties (that do not involve lead exposure) • Workers should be encouraged to use washing or showering facilities at the workplace, and change clothes prior to going home to minimise secondary lead exposure from contaminated clothing and minimise ingestion of lead.

• Workers who smoke or bite their nails should be counselled on the risk of lead ingestion.

• Smoking, carrying materials used for smoking, eating, chewing gum or drink in a lead process area can cause ingestion.

• it is important to remove lead contaminated clothing and equipment, as per the policy and • it is important to wash your hands and faces, before entering areas designated for eating and drinking.

What happens when it is in you?

• Lead which is inhaled or ingested gets into the bloodstream.

• Can be circulated throughout your body.

• Some is excreted while some remains in organs and body tissues.

• Takes 20-30 years to excrete from bones.

What Systems are effected?

During prolonged chronic exposure, many body systems can be affected by lead, including: • Brain • Kidneys • Muscles • Bones • Blood forming organs • Reproductive systems

Chronic Health Effects • Severe damage to blood forming, nervous, urinary and reproductive systems • Loss of appetite, metallic taste in the mouth, anxiety, constipation, nausea, pallor, excessive tiredness, weakness, insomnia, headache, nervous irritability, muscle and joint pain or soreness, fine tremors, numbness, dizziness, hyperactivity and colic (with severe abdominal pain) • Person is easily irritated and may become aggressive • Reproductive systems of both men and women may be affected • Decreased sex drive, impotence and sterility in men • Miscarriage and stillbirth in women whose husbands were exposed to lead or where they were exposed

Chronic Health Effects • Children born of parents who were exposed to excessive lead are more likely to have birth defects, mental retardation, behavioural disorders or die during the first year of childhood

Lead Exposure Limits • Action levels 22 ug/100cm2 • Maximum Permissible level 50 ug/100cm2 • ug is microgram which is one millionth of a gram or one thousandth of a milligram

Safe Working Practices • Avoid creating and spreading dust • Keep others away until after clean up.

• Wear proper respiratory PPE • Dispose of or clean workwear after use as per policy to reduce dust contamination (do not blow or shake clothing) • Clean areas often to reduce dust build-up • Ensure filters on vacuum equipment (HEPA) are cleaned and in good order • Clean from High to low

PPE • Disposable or Cleanable work gloves • Coveralls with Foot covering • Face shield or goggles • Approved respirator

Medical Surveillance • • • •

Baseline Testing history of medical conditions history of medication Volumetric Testing - eight hour time weighted average (TWA) of 0.05 mg/m3.

• Blood tests

How do we test ?

Copper Dust Copper toxicity is a type of metal poisoning caused by an excess of copper in the body.

Copper Poisoning • Copper is usually ingested through cooking acetic foods in unsealed pots and pans or through excess in environment.

• However copper dust can be accumulated through their use in ammunition via dust.

• Acute symptoms can include: • Vomiting (including blood) • Melena (black tarry feces) • Jaundice (yellow complexion) • Long term exposure can damage your liver and kidneys.

Safety Precautions • Same as for Lead.

• Is flammable • PPE • • • •

Disposable or Cleanable work gloves Coveralls with Foot covering Face shield or goggles Approved respirator

Lead Awareness Training As incorporated in the Australian Unit standard.

Practical and Test