An evaluation of worker lead exposures and cleaning effectiveness during removal of deteriorated lead-based paint
- National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (United States)
- Ohio Univ., Athens, OH (United States). Dept. of Environmental Health and Safety
The authors evaluated worker lead exposures and cleaning effectiveness during initial cleanup of 19th-century buildings with highly deteriorated lead-based paint. Eighteen rooms of similar size and condition in two university-owned buildings were selected for a pilot project to compare three methods for removing loose paint, paint chips, and dust. The methods used were: dry scraping followed by dry sweeping (no engineering or work practice controls); wet scraping and high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) vacuuming; and the latter method with the addition of a portable HEPA-filtered exhaust fan in the room providing about 40 air changes per hour. The final step for all methods was wet-mopping once with tri-sodium phosphate solution. During a single day 18 rooms were cleaned; each of three two-person work crews cleaned six room, two with each method. Air and surface samples were collected before, during, and after cleaning. All of the methods were potentially hazardous to workers: 44% of the method-based exposures and one of five full-shift exposures exceeded the OSHA PEL.
- OSTI ID:
- 343559
- Journal Information:
- Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, Vol. 14, Issue 3; Other Information: PBD: Mar 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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