Lead Dust
Shipyard employees who engage in abrasive blasting are most commonly at an increased risk of exposure to toxic lead dust. Helpers (e.g., the "pot tender" and cleanup personnel) and others may also be at risk if they work in the vicinity of areas where abrasive blasting is conducted.
Potential exposure to dust and air contaminants is the primary health hazard associated with abrasive blasting. Abrasive blasting can generate large quantities of dust that can contain high levels of toxic air contaminants. The source of the air contaminants includes the base material being blasted, the surface coating(s) being removed, the abrasive being used, and any abrasive contamination from previous blasting operations. This means that employees can have exposures to multiple air contaminants from both the abrasive and the surface being blasted. Potential sources of lead dust that might be associated with abrasive blasting in shipyards and their sources are:
Lead Exposure Risks in the Workplace
- Base materials: The base materials used to fabricate ships include iron-containing (e.g., carbon steel) and non-iron-containing metals. Depending on the base material being blasted, potential air contaminants might include aluminum, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, and zinc.
- Surface coatings: The interior and exterior surfaces of ships are protected with coatings that include zinc-based pre-construction primers (shop primers) and metal-based anticorrosive and antifouling paints. Metal-based paints are used to protect ship surfaces from corrosion and can contain up to 30 percent heavy metals. Lead compounds, such as lead chromate and red lead tetraoxide, have been used extensively in marine paint. Depending on the surface coating being blasted, potential air contaminants might include barium, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, zinc, and other types of air contaminants.
- Abrasive blasting media: Common blasting abrasives used for paint removal and surface preparation in shipyard employment include coal slag, copper slag, and other metallic grit and shot. Abrasive blasting with copper slag can generate arsenic, chromium, and lead levels that exceed the OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) for these substances.
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1-4. Potential exposure to lead dust and air contaminants is the primary health hazard associated with _____.
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