PRINCIPLES OF TOXICOLOGY

552 CONTROLLING OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH HAZARDS
surveillance programs. (Ideally, protective clothing should also be worn, although laundered uniforms
can also be used as long as the uniforms are not taken home and are not worn in worker’s automobiles.)
Worker’s shoes were left at the maintenance headquarters and were not worn home or into cars, since
they can track lead dust into locations that may be accessible to their own children. Workers were
required to thoroughly wash their hands and faces before all breaks and at the end of the shift; this rule
was rigorously enforced. Full showers were preferable. These precautions were necessary until worker
exposures could be characterized. If exposure levels were sufficiently low, it might have been possible
to reduce or eliminate some of these protective measures.
Even though levels of lead in soil were found to be relatively low, in this case all bare soil areas
should be covered with sod or planted with grass seed, especially play areas in the yards of housing
units. This will minimize the potential for ingestion of lead-contaminated soil.
The Housing Authority developed a formal written occupational safety and health program for its
employees and a lead-based paint interim control plan. This included a brief written statement from
the executive director indicating the importance of observing safe work practices within the organization.
Specific elements of the program included
• A written hazard communication program (see 29 CFR 1910.1200).
• A respirator program (see 29 CFR 1910.134). No worker should be required to wear a
respirator unless the program elements are in place. Training on the limitations of the
particular respirator is especially important. For example, employees should know that a
respirator with a HEPA cartridge will provide absolutely no protection against solvent vapors
or oxygen deficiency.
• Disciplinary procedures if safety rules are disregarded.
• Special training on the hazards of lead, asbestos, and other hazardous substances that
maintenance workers might encounter.
• Emergency response procedures.
• Hazardous-waste regulations.
• Establishment of a health-and-safety committee.
• Name of the management staffer who has the authority to coordinate all lead-hazard control
work.
These programs were implemented and remained in effect until all lead-based paint in the housing
development was either removed through building component replacement or enclosed with durable
physically fastened construction materials. These measures were implemented during a gut rehabilitation
of the housing project.
No cases of children with elevated blood lead levels were reported. Thus, risks associated with the
presence of lead-based paint, leaded dust, and leaded soil were managed on a practical interim basis
until they could be eliminated in the course of demolition and rehabilitation activity.
22.5 SUMMARY
Industrial hygiene is devoted to the prevention of environmentally-induced disease. As such it uses a
process of anticipation, recognition, and evaluation to assess the need for and types of controls
necessary to protect people.
Much of the work of industrial hygiene is based on reference to exposure limits derived in part
from toxicological testing as well as epidemiologic evidence, work experience, and by reference to
other chemicals. The most common exposure limits are
• ACGIH TLVs ®
• OSHA PELs