Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Oct;60(10):928-935.
doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001370.

Lead Exposure Among Workers at a Shipyard-Wisconsin, 2015 to 2016

Debora Weiss  1 , Luke A Baertlein, Stephanie J Yendell, Krista Y Christensen, Carrie D Tomasallo, Paul D Creswell, Jenny L Camponeschi, Jon G Meiman, Henry A Anderson
Affiliations

Lead Exposure Among Workers at a Shipyard-Wisconsin, 2015 to 2016

Debora Weiss et al. J Occup Environ Med. 2018 Oct.

Abstract

Objective: In March 2016, the state health departments of Wisconsin and Minnesota learned of three shipyard workers with blood lead levels (BLLs) more than 40 μg/dL. An investigation was conducted to determine the extent of and risk factors for the exposure.

Methods: We defined a case as an elevated BLL more than or equal to 5 μg/dL in a shipyard worker. Workers were interviewed regarding their symptoms and personal protective equipment (PPE) use.

Results: Of 357 workers, 65.0% had received more than or equal to 1 BLL test. Among tested workers, 171 (73.7%) had BLLmax more than or equal to 5 μg/dL. Workers who received respirator training or fit testing had a median BLLmax of 18.0 μg/dL, similar to the median BLLmax of workers who did not receive such training (22.6 μg/dL, P = 0.20).

Conclusions: Our findings emphasize the importance of adequate provision and use of PPE to prevent occupational lead exposure.

PubMed Disclaimer

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources