Lead in the News - Again!

Occasionally, the issue of lead safety comes up in the MMD.  The
March 11 issue of "OSHA Quick Takes" highlights that a lead reclamation
company was subject to hefty fines.  Some of the fine was related to
inappropriate safety gear; however, there was a significant fine
regarding simple worker hygiene.

For those of us with the occasional task of removing tracker bar
tubing, it is another reminder to handle lead with care and exercise
good shop and personal hygiene.  The following was excerpted from the
OSHA site, http://www.osha.gov/as/opa/quicktakes/qt03152011.html 

  "OSHA fined E.N. Range Inc. $201,600 and cited the company for
  exposing workers removing lead pellets at a gun range in Oley, Pa.,
  to dangerously high levels of lead.  OSHA initiated an inspection
  in response to a complaint alleging worker exposure to lead as well
  as deficiencies in the company's respiratory protection program.

  "Inspectors found that the company willfully jeopardized the health
  of its workers by failing to follow required procedures of OSHA's lead
  standard.  These included failing to provide shower facilities for
  employees exposed to lead, failing to ensure workers exposed to lead
  washed their hands and face before eating or drinking, failing to
  provide exposed workers with a change room and failing to ensure that
  workers removed their protective clothing in the change room at the end
  of their shifts.

  "OSHA's lead standard requires employers to protect their workers
  from lead exposure, which can cause many serious health issues
  including brain damage, paralysis and kidney disease, as well as
  death.  See the news release for more on the company's health and
  safety violations.  In August 2010 OSHA fined E.N. Range more than
  $2 million for knowingly exposing workers to lead and other hazards."

Karl Van Scyoc