Personal Hygiene Practices

Another way to reduce exposure is to practice good personal hygiene, such as washing one's hands and face after work and before eating. This will help with the following:

• Reducing workers exposure to lead when at work
• Minimizing lead ingestion
• Ensuring the exposure does not extend beyond the worksite (and therefore offering added protection to employees and their families, who could be contaminated when they come into contact with a worker when he or she goes home)
• Reducing the movement of lead from contaminated worksite areas to other non-contaminated worksite areas

To ensure that good personal hygiene occurs, employers must:

• Emphasize workers' personal hygiene
• Provide washing facilities
• Ensure workers use these washing facilities
• Provide clean change areas and readily accessible eating areas
• When possible, provide a parking area where cars will not be contaminated with lead

To learn more about Construction Lead Safety visit our Construction Lead Safety Online Training Certification web page.