Symptoms of Short-term Exposure

If a person is exposed to high enough levels of lead over a short period of time (such as a few hours to a few days), lead poisoning is still possible. This exposure may result in the following symptoms:

• Abdominal pain
• Constipation
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Irritability
• Loss of appetite
• Memory loss
• Pain or tingling in the hands or feet
• Weakness

Many of these symptoms can also be caused by other things. This makes lead poisoning difficult to diagnose. If workers experience any of these symptoms, they should notify their employer and seek medical attention.

To learn more about Construction Lead Exposure visit our Cal/OSHA Construction Lead Exposure Online Training web page.