Open AccessElevated blood lead levels among construction workers in the Massachusetts Occupational Lead Registry.
Author(s) -
Richard A. Rabin,
Deborah Brooks,
Leonard G. Davis
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.84.9.1483
Subject(s) - environmental health , medicine , lead exposure , lead (geology) , lead poisoning , occupational medicine , medical surveillance , occupational exposure , occupational safety and health , blood lead level , pathology , cats , geomorphology , psychiatry , geology
Although the construction industry until recently was exempt from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration General Industry Lead Standard, including its medical monitoring provisions, periodic blood lead tests have been required for residential "deleaders" and structural painters in Massachusetts. Sixty-three percent of the 381 registrants in the Massachusetts Occupational Lead Registry with blood lead levels of 1.93 mumol/L or higher are construction workers. This proportion is much higher than that reported by registries of several states selected for comparison. These data highlight the need for better protection from lead exposure and the effectiveness of mandatory medical surveillance in identifying elevated blood lead levels among construction workers.