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Injury Prevention Resources for Construction - Hazardous Materials
Asbestos | Dust | Lead | Paints & Coatings | Silica
The following links list tools, publications, and other resources to help prevent the most common injuries and illnesses in the construction industry. These resources may not meet all the requirements for health and safety in British Columbia. Please check the Workers Compensation Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, and related materials for specific WorkSafeBC requirements.
Lead
Lead: Preventing Exposure at Work BK17 (PDF 515 KB)
This booklet explains lead exposure, its health effects, and ways to prevent it.
Source: WorkSafeBC 
Children of Construction Workers at Increased Risk for Lead Poisoning
"In the first comprehensive study of home lead contamination among construction workers, researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health found that children of lead-exposed construction workers were six times more likely to have blood lead levels over the recommended limit than children whose parents did not work in lead-related industries."
Source: NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
Preventing Lead Poisoning in Construction Workers
Lead poisoning may occur in workers during abrasive blasting, sanding, cutting, burning, or welding of bridges and other steel structures coated with lead-containing paints. This NIOSH Alert provides case reports of 42 constructions workers at 8 different worksites who developed lead poisoning, and recommends measures for reducing lead exposure and preventing lead poisoning among workers involved in demolishing or maintaining bridges and other steel structures.
Source: NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
Controlling Lead Exposures in the Construction Industry: Engineering and Work Practice Controls
"This chapter [Section V, Chapter 3] provides OSHA compliance officers and safety and health professionals with general information on the types of construction activities involving worker exposure to lead and the feasible engineering and work practice controls to reduce these exposures. The construction activities identified range from those such as abrasive blasting and welding, cutting, and burning, where exposures to lead are often high, to encapsulating lead-based paint or using lead pots, where exposures are generally low."
Source: OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
Lead in Construction (PDF 1 MB)
Source: OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
OSHA Lead in Construction Advisor 1.0
"This program provides interactive expert help on OSHA's Lead in Construction standard (29CFR1926.62). Once installed on your PC, it asks you about work policies and practices. Then, it asks follow-up questions based on your answers, in order to provide help regarding coverage of the rule, initial determinations, use of exposure data, and more."
Source: OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
OSHA Technical Links: Lead Exposure
List of "technical links" to internal and external online resources.
Source: OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
Controlling Lead Exposures in the Construction Industry: Engineering and Work Practice Controls
OSHA Technical Manual, Section V: Chapter 3
Source: OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration)
Guides for Managing Lead Control Programs in Construction
Includes a PDF document, checklists, infosheets and sample forms.
Source: The Blueprint Project
eLCOSH Lead Links
Various resources on lead.
Source: eLCOSH (Electronic Library of Construction Occupational Safety and Health)
Model Specifications for the Protection of Workers from Lead on Steel Structures, Revised September 2002
"The deteriorating condition of the nation's transportation infrastructure combined with the potential for high lead exposures associated with bridge restoration work threatens workers and their families with a high risk of lead poisoning absent a comprehensive approach to prevention."
Source: eLCOSH and CPWR (Centre to Protect Workers Rights)
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