Occupational Exposure to Lead Continues to be a Serious Health Issue

The California Department of Health has reported that the workers' occupational exposure to lead continues to be a serious public health issue.

"According to a report released in January by the California Department of Public Health, more than 6,000 California workers have elevated levels of lead in their blood. Health problems from lead exposure include heart disease, reproductive problems, cognitive difficulties and kidney failure. 

"From 2012 to 2014, 38,440 workers had their blood tested for lead, and 6,051 workers were identified with an elevated level of 5 or more micrograms of lead per deciliter (about 3.3 ounces) of blood. Workers with the highest blood lead levels — 40 micrograms or more per deciliter — mostly worked at shooting ranges or in ammunition manufacturing, gun repair, and firearm instruction, although some worked in other metal industries, painting and construction.

One of the most common health problems for American children today is lead poisoning. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has indicated that lead poisoning is entirely preventable. Our office has joined with other law firms to dedicate our efforts to the victims of childhood lead poisoning. In this effort we work with leading national researchers, including geochemists, psychiatrists, toxicologist, pediatric neurologists and neuropsychiatrists to assist our clients who suffer from lead poisoning.

Lead is absorbed into the bodies of small children more easily than adults. Human beings are exposed to lead through the ingestion of lead chips, dust, soil and various other means. When lead is ingested by children six years old or younger, the effects are most serious and they effect detrimentally the brains of children that are in developmental stages. Studies have shown that lead, even at low levels, is a neurotoxin and can cause permanent brain damage.

Lead exposure can pose serious dangers to pregnant women and industrial workers. Exposure to battery plants and lead smelters that use lead in their processing may also expose workers and children to dangerous levels of lead. Painters and workers with occupations involving welding, soldering, the chemical industry, foundries, gasoline refineries and the copper industry may bring dust home from the workplace resulting in secondhand exposure and poisoning to children.

Lead exposure occurs in both industrial and occupational exposures also. There is exposure to lead in battery plants and lead smelters they utilize lead in their processing. Adult workers may be exposed and children may be exposed to dangerous levels through the household contact of their parents. Painters and workers involved in occupational industries such as welding, soldering, the chemical industry, boundaries, gasoline refineries and that copper industry may transport landed home and expose their household contacts.

Click here to read the complete report. "Blood Lead Levels in California Workers." 

Click here to read more about "Lead Litigation."

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Jon L. Gelman of Wayne NJ is the author of NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thomson-Reuters) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thomson-Reuters). 

For over 4 decades theLaw Offices of Jon L Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com  has been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.

NJ: The Lead Paint Poisoning Crisis Continues

Lead Paint
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lead paint for decades has been a problem in New Jersey decaying housing for decades. The consequences have been the lead poisoning of children. Children are particularly vulnerable to the health hazard that results in neurological disorders. Recent attention is again focussed on the issue. Today's post is shared from northjersey.com.

"The state will nearly double its spending to $22 million on lead safety programs for children this year, Governor Christie said Tuesday, amid sustained calls for attention and money to an issue that has for years been largely hidden from public view.

"The $10 million the administration found in the general fund will not address lead in water, though. Instead, the money will go to what Christie said is the primary concern in New Jersey: outdated, lead-based paint in old housing. The state Department of Community Affairs will work through non-profit organizations to “support an improved lead remediation and containment” program for low- and moderate-income households. 

"Exposure to lead has been linked to problems with learning, behavior and memory, and children are especially vulnerable. Much of the recent attention to lead exposure was prompted by elevated levels of the metal in the Flint, Mich., drinking water and amplified by similar, but much smaller-scale discoveries elsewhere, including 30 schools in Newark. Last year, Paterson discovered elevated lead levels in the drinking water of 14 schools and made necessary repairs, but school officials acknowledged last week that they failed to inform parents of the problem.

Click here to read the entire article:  N.J. to nearly double spending on lead safety programs this year

NJ Governor Christie commented:

"So New Jersey’s approach is far more protective than a majority of states. In fact, screenings for lead exposure have increased dramatically over the past 20 years with 20 times more children being tested in 2015. The total in 2015, we tested 206,221 children in New Jersey compared to just 10,200 children who were tested back in 1998, so we’ve increased that twentyfold. 

"According to the latest data, 97% of New Jersey’s children under the age of 6 have had at least one blood test for lead in their lifetime, and I want to make something very clear and again a point that’s been distorted: The primary lead concern in New Jersey has been and remains the outdated lead-based paint in our old housing stocks, not water sources.  

"That’s the major problem we have regarding lead in New Jersey, so as part of the conversation about how we protect children in their homes and deal with the legacy of lead paint, I said that I have no objection to providing money for lead containment efforts, and I don’t, so over the past few weeks my administration has been hard at work developing recommendations for me on how to best address this issue moving forward.  

"Today, I’m happy to announce an additional $10 million in this year’s budget to support an improved lead remediation and containment program for low- and moderate-income households in New Jersey. This funding has been identified by my administration within existing 2016 budget funds and will be made available for this purpose, so that we can address and double nearly the amount of money we’re spending on lead remediation efforts but do it in a fiscally responsible way.  

"The Department of Community Affairs will work through nonprofit organizations as we always have with experience in lead remediation programs, identify licensed lead-evaluation contractors and EPA-certified, lead-safe renovation organizations to assess and remediate lead-based paint hazards.  

"The estimated costs will average about $20,000 a unit in repair and related costs for eligible households to fund their remediation plan. DCA will then collect data from homeowners to determine best practices for potential program expansion and refinement in the FY 2017 budget. This effort will operate in addition to what we’re already doing to address lead, so we’re going to continue to do the program as we’ve done before and what I’m announcing today is we have located another $10 million in funds that are available within the current fiscal year budget and we’re going to make those available on top of the funds we’re already spending.  

"New Jersey has been a national leader on the issue of lead paint in housing and the resulting decline in cases proves that point, so we are working hard and making sure that lead poisoning, while it is a concern, does never become an epidemic in New Jersey.

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Jon L. Gelman of Wayne NJ is the author of NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson-Reuters) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson-Reuters). For over 4 decades the Law Offices of Jon L Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com  have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.

For more information about lead paint litigation contact us.

Read more about "lead paint poisoning:"

Workers' Compensation: UW study finds link between lead paint ... Aug 22, 2013 ... A new study that analyzed medical and discipline data from Milwaukee Public Schools found young children who are exposed to lead are ... idoctor-health.blogspot.com

Workers' Compensation: Lead: Bringing it Home From Work Aug 12, 2015 ... Although deteriorating lead paint in pre-1979 housing is the most common source of lead exposure in children, data indicate that ≥30% of ... idoctor-health.blogspot.com