Posted By Robert S Woods Has anyone any experiance in the use of surgical type gloves as PPE for using lead? The process I am looking at is the construction of stained glass panels, which requires the operator to be able to manipulate small parts.

Posted By STEVE Not totally true Lewis You are forgetting about Ingestion, this along with Inhalation are probabally the big two risks. If an Individual is going to handle the Lead then this must be assessed/controlled. What type of Lead is it? What Hygiene Controls are in place? Is there a need for Medical Surviellance? Good Hygiene If you understand how dangerous lead can be, then you know that following safety procedures involving lead is very important to your health—and the health of your family! • Use any personal protective equipment, such as gloves, face shields, or respirators, as instructed by your employer. • Keep the work area as free as possible from lead contamination by regular cleaning with a vacuum or with safe wet-mopping methods. Don't use compressed air, a shovel brush, or dry sweeping. • Try not to touch your face, hair, or other parts of your body when you are working with lead-containing materials. • Wash your hands and face thoroughly before lunch breaks or any break when you will be eating, drinking, smoking, applying makeup, or touching contact lenses, even if you have been wearing gloves. • Don't keep your lunch box, purse, snacks, cigarettes, or makeup near your work area. • Take showers at the end of the day if poss. You must change clothing before leaving work. • Don't bring your work clothes home! This will bring lead contamination back to your house and your family. Children of workers who bring home lead dust on their bodies and clothing may be affected from very low levels of exposure. Such exposure can result in behavioral disorders and even mental retardation. As to your question, you definitly need to ensure your workers wear some type of hand protection, there is plenty on the market it might just need some experimenting to find the right glove The type of glove they use in Labs, could be of use but they do stretch, but you can get a box of 100 quite cheaply, also would be easy to dispose- ensure all gloves and disposable coveralls if used are put into waste bags Steve

Posted By Robert S Woods The amount of lead used is quite substantial and they have had to take at least one person off lead work because of high levels in their blood. The hygiene controls are in place and as mentioned health surveillance. I just thought the PPE might be a good additional measure. As mentioned by Steve I think the main route of entry is probably ingestion. I’ll pass the information on to the lads about applying make up. One or two of them might find it useful.

Posted By Adrian Watson Dear Robert, Cutting lead for stained glass may cause some high exposures where there is poor hygiene practices such as eating, drinking or smoking on the workplace but the most likely exposures are lead fume from casting, if this is carried out, or joining the lead strips. Regards Adrian Watson

Posted By Adrian Watson Lead poisoning is one of the commonest of occupational diseases. The presence of lead-bearing materials or lead compounds in an industrial plant does not necessarily result in exposure on the part of the worker. The lead must be in such form, and so distributed, as to gain entrance into the body or tissues of the worker in measurable quantity, otherwise no exposure can be said to exist. Some lead compounds are carcinogens of the lungs and kidneys. The modes of entry into body are by inhalation of the dust, fumes, mists or vapours; by ingestion of lead compounds trapped in the upper respiratory tract or introduced into the mouth on food, tobacco, fingers, or other objects; and through the skin; this route is of special importance in the case of organic compounds of lead, such as lead tetraethyl. In the case of the inorganic forms of lead, this route is of no practical importance. When lead is ingested, much of it passes through the body unabsorbed, and is eliminated in the faeces. The greater portion of the lead that is absorbed is caught by the liver and excreted, in part, in the bile. For this reason, larger amounts of lead are necessary to cause toxic effects by this route, and a longer period of exposure is usually necessary to produce symptoms. On the other hand, upon inhalation, absorption takes place easily from the respiratory tract and symptoms tend to develop more quickly. For industry, inhalation is much more important than is ingestion. Metallic Lead causes human systemic effects by ingestion and inhalation. It produces loss of appetite, anaemia, malaise, insomnia, headache, irritability, muscle and joint pains, tremors, flaccid paralysis without anaesthesia, hallucinations and distorted perceptions, muscle weakness, gastritis and liver changes. The major organ systems affected are the nervous system, blood system, and kidneys.Very heavy intoxication can sometimes be detected by formation of a dark line on the gum margins, the so-called “lead line.” The toxicity of the various lead compounds appears to depend upon several factors, such as the solubility of the compound in the body fluids; the fineness of the particles of the compound (solubility is greater in proportion to the fineness of the particles); and conditions under which the compound is being used. Of the various lead compounds, the carbonate, the monoxide, and the sulphate are considered to be more toxic than metallic lead or other lead compounds. Lead arsenate is very toxic due to the presence of the arsenic radical. Organolead compounds are rapidly absorbed by the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems and through the skin. Tetraethyl lead is converted in the body to triethyl lead which is a more severe neurotoxin than inorganic lead.

Posted By Robert Paterson Hi Robert I would have thought that if one of the main routes of exposure was INGESTION that your employees would be wearing some protection over the mouth and nose. If a risk cannot be engineered out i.e., some from of extraction or enclosure, then PPE must be used as a control measure to reduce the exposure or even eliminate it. You may have already taken that measure anyway. There are a lot of airfed respirators at the expensive end of the market or just the 3m face mask at the other end. Regards Robert Paterson

Posted By Lewis T Roberts Don't forget though if there is lead soldering or burning make sure that the glove can't melt on to the hands as the operatives would be quite disappointed in the control measure. Laurie, on the periodic table lead is Pb any compound of that is Pb something different. Lead dust i generally an oxide not an element but a compound. Adrian, metallic lead? what's that about. Lew

Posted By Dave Daniel Contrary to some of the advice provided I think you will find leaded windows do not result in substantive exposure. It is worth noting that a Rolls Royce bodyshell as produced by Rover Group in "R" Block at Cowley Body plant used to have about 120lb of lead which was melted as a filler into the seams (lead loading). Lead was sanded off mechanically in special protected booths. A Jaguar XJ6 made at Castle Bromwich had about 20lb of lead filling. In the latter case the final sheet metal working used to include hand filing to smooth the lines of the seam. Operators did not wear any ppe or work in enclosed areas but filings were collected. At no time did blood-lead checks indicate raised levels. the only precautions required were good personal hygiene. In your case the risk of ingestion of small particles of lead from lead glazing is extremely small and best dealt with by good hygiene control. There is no apparent risk from lead fumes or dust. Dave Daniel Ex-Group Safety Adviser - Rover Group Ex-Safety Adviser Pressed Steel Fisher Castle Bromwich Plant Technical Director - Practical Risk Management Ltd

Posted By Paul Leadbetter Lead fume is only likely to be a problem if the soldering irons are not thermostatically controlled. Lead fume is not produced below about 500ºC (see Lead Regs ACoP). As has been previously discussed, the exposure route is probably ingestion caused by skin contact and poor hygiene. Paul