Lead Exposures in Radiator Shops in a Nine-County Area of Northwestern Oregon

Abstract

The primary objective of this study was to assess radiator repair shop compliance with Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration Lead and Hazard Communication regulations. Fifty radiator repair shops were randomly selected from nine counties that make up the highest population density in Oregon. All 50 work sites were visited; of these 50 work sites, 22 were within the scope of the emphasis program and were inspected. Of the 22 inspections, personal monitoring for lead exposure was performed in 19. A total of 151 violations were cited during the 22 inspections, including 85 violations of the Lead Standard and 44 violations of the Hazard Communication Standard. Citations were issued at 21 of the 22 work sites. Thirty-two airborne lead exposures were measured for individual workers at the 19 work sites where air monitoring was performed (one worker used lead-free solder). Personal airborne lead exposures ranged from 6.2 to 236.8 μg/m³. Mean airborne lead exposure was 76.7 μg/m³. Core header cleaning appears to be responsible for high end exposures. Ventilation approaches used by the lead-monitored shops included general, canopy, capture, and enclosure. Records at five of the lead-monitored shops revealed that blood lead measurements had never been performed for a total of eight workers. Of the 32 workers evaluated for airborne lead exposures, only 19 had received blood lead tests in the year prior to the inspection date. The mean blood lead level for these 19 workers was 34.7 μg/100 g whole blood. The highest blood lead level was 61 μg/100 g. Airborne lead exposures in radiator repair shops are largely controlled by ventilation design and personal work habits.