Survey to assess occupational exposure to lead
Research type
Research Study
Full title
To carry out a comprehensive survey to asses current inorganic lead exposure in industries including non-tradditional.
IRAS ID
181458
Contact name
JOAN COOKE
Contact email
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Employers who use lead in any of their processes should measure the lead in air or the lead in the blood of their exposed employees. If it is above specified levels then the Control of Lead at Work Regulations will apply. Unfortunately not all such employers take these measurements leaving their workers potentially exposed to the harmful effects of lead in the course of their work.
We wish to survey exposure to inorganic lead in industries including those not usually associated with heavy lead usage such as jewellery manufacturers, potteries and gun firing ranges. This will involve recruiting between up to 50 companies in the UK. Companies who agree to take part will be visited by a study team comprising an HSL occupational hygienist and a phlebotomist. Exposure to lead will be assessed by visual inspection of the workplace, air, skin and surface monitoring and by blood lead measurements.
Workers will be given their individual results and the implications of the results. Factory managers will be given anonymised grouped results and their implications. The results of the research will help to formulate HSE policy.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0516
Date of REC Opinion
15 Jul 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion