• Lead exposure occurs in most industry sectors including construction, manufacturing, transportation, and more.
• Workers who are exposed to lead may suffer neurological effects, gastrointestinal effects, anemia, and kidney disease.

Workers are exposed to lead as a result of the production, use, maintenance, recycling, and disposal of lead material and products. Lead exposure occurs in many industry sectors such as construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, transportation, and remediation.

Lead enters the body primarily through inhalation and ingestion. Employees are mainly exposed by breathing in lead-containing dust and fumes at work. Lead passes through the lungs into the blood where it can harm many of the body’s organ systems. While inorganic lead does not readily enter the body through the skin, it might accidentally be ingested when eating, drinking, or smoking with contaminated hands or on contaminated surfaces. Lead-exposed employees may suffer ailments like neurological effects, gastrointestinal effects, anemia, and kidney disease.