Who Is at Risk?

In general, plumbers, welders, and painters are some of the many workers often exposed to lead because lead exposure can result from removing paint from something previously coated with lead-based paint (such as bridges, residences, and structures undergoing renovation or demolishment).

Workers conducting the following tasks are often at a high risk of lead exposure:

• Iron work
• Demolition, renovations, and remodels
• Painting and lead-based paint abatement
• Plumbing
• Heating and air conditioning (both maintenance and repair)
• Electrical work
• Carpentry
• Abrasive blasting
• Welding, cutting, and burning on steel structures.

The following less-common tasks can also lead to lead exposure:

• Burning lead
• Use of lead-containing mortar
• Power tool cleaning (with or without dust collection systems)
• Rivet busting
• Cleanup activities using dry expendable abrasives
• Movement and removal of abrasive blasting enclosures
• Manual dry scraping, sanding, and demolition
• Heat-gun applications
• Spray painting using lead-based paint

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