LEAD-POISONING IN TELEPHONE CABLE STRIPPERS - A NEW SETTING FOR AN OLD PROBLEM

Lead poisoning among workers processing lead sheathed telephone cable was identified at five worksites. High blood lead levels (BLLs) were i dentified during the medical evaluation of symptomatic workers followi ng employer mandated air monitoring and through employer mandated bloo d lead levels. Once high BLLs were identified, governmental agencies b ecame involved at every site, either as a result of worker complaints to OSHA or as a registry reporting mechanism. Workplace evaluation rev ealed significant overexposure to lead, particularly among workers mec hanically stripping the lead sheaths. After intervention by a governme nt agency, four of the workplaces chose to stop lead cable processing. Because the ongoing replacement of lead sheathed telephone cable with fiber optics may be continuing in many areas of the country, there is concern that the clusters we have identified represents a widespread and little recognized setting for lead overexposure. Recommendations f or preventing overexposure to lead in this setting are given. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.