a report written by the parceria/cobweb project, collaboration for better work environment for...

7/30/2019 A Report written by the PARCERIA/COBWEB Project, Collaboration for Better Work Environment for Brazilians in Massachusetts.

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University of MassachusettsLowellUMASS

PROJECTCOBWEB

PROJECT

A REPORT ON BRAZILIAN IMMIGRANT WORKERS IN MASSACHUSETTS

COBWEB

A REPORT ON BRAZILIAN IMMIGRANT WORKERS IN MASSACHUSETTS


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PARCERIA/COBWEBCollaboration for Better Work Environment for Brazilians in Massachusetts

www.cobwebproject.orgA project financed by the NIEHS-grant number 5R25ES012588

Imagem da capa: sxc.hu

Carlos Eduardo Siqueira

3 Solomont Way Suite 3Lowell, MA 01854-5127Telephone: 978-934-3147E-mail: [email protected]/college/she/CHS/faculty

INDEX

Overview of Project COBWEB/ Projeto Parceria

Introduction

Survey of Working Conditions of Brazilian Immigrant Workers

Worker Compensation Cases of Brazilian Immigrant Workers

Work-Related Fatal Injuries of Brazilian Immigrant Workers

Cases of High Blood Lead Levels in Brazilian Construction Workers

References

4

5

6-9

10-12

13

14

15

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Page

This report was produced by Dr. Carlos Eduardo Siqueira and Dr. Andrea Barbosa(doctoral student at UMass Lowell), with the help of staff from partner organizations.

We would particularly like to thank Dr. Letitia Davis and her staff from the OccupationalHealth Surveillance Program of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Project COBWEB was approved by theInstitutional Review Board of the University of Massachusetts Lowell.


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Project COBWEB (Collaboration for a Better Work Environment for Brazilians) in Massachusetts,or Projeto Parceria in Portuguese, began in 2003 with the combined efforts of the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell), the Brazilian Immigrant Center (BIC) a non-governmentalorganization (NGO) founded in 1995 for Brazilian immigrant workers in Boston the MassachusettsCoalition for Occupational Safety and Health (MassCOSH)- a NGO that fights for the rights of

workers in the state- and two health care centers: the Lowell Community Health Center and theMassachusetts General Chelsea Health Center. This last partner withdrew from the project in 2005.

Between 2003 and 2007, Project COBWEB worked with the Brazilian working community inMassachusetts, particularly in the eastern part of the state, to promote better health and safety conditionsin the work environment. Project COBWEB was financed by the National Institute of EnvironmentalHealth Sciences (NIEHS) a U.S. government agency that has financed other similar projects with thegoal of seeking environmental justice for disadvantaged populations in the United States.

Project COBWEB was a research project with community participation that had the following aims:

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

Collect data on Brazilian immigrant workers, particularly demographic data, onoccupational hazards related to the Brazilian immigrant and on the experience of Brazilians as immigrants in the United States;

Identify the workplace hazards of Brazilians who work as housecleaners and janitors,and in the construction trades (painters, carpenters, roofers and day laborers);

Develop culturally, linguistically, and literacy appropriate curricula and educationalmaterials to disseminate information on work environment hazards to the Braziliancommunity;

Recruit and train a team of peer-trainers/advocates in teaching techniques and methodsto educate low-literacy Brazilian immigrant workers in health and safety awareness;

Design research and policy strategies to minimize occupational health risks associated with Brazilian immigrant worker exposures to hazards in cleaning jobs (e.g. replacing toxic chemical products) and in the construction trades.

Overview of Project COBWEB/ Projeto Parceria1 This second report focuses on Project COBWEB's occupational health and safety research

findings, based on primary and secondary data collected in Massachusetts. The sources of data used inour analysis include:

A survey of 626 Brazilian immigrant workers.

147 worker compensation cases of Work-Related injuries reported by Brazilianimmigrant workers to the Brazilian Immigrant Center, located in Allston, Massachusetts.

All 16 fatalities of Brazilian immigrant workers between 1999 and 2007. There is norecord of fatalities of Brazilian workers prior to 1999.

Blood samples of 61 Brazilian construction workers, collected at the BrazilianImmigrant Center in 2006 and 2007.

Introduction

We think that our successful efforts to reach out to hundreds of Brazilian immigrant workersallowed us to collect primary data in unusual locations and respond to worker needs as they arosethroughout the five years of the project. The partnership between the Brazilian Immigrant Center, theUniversity of Massachusetts Lowell, and MassCOSH was the centerpiece for that. For example, workercompensation cases were collected at the BIC because of the joint outreach work that informedBrazilian workers of their rights for worker compensation, even when those workers wereundocumented. Furthermore, collaborative work between the BIC, UMass Lowell, and theOccupational Health Surveillance Program of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health trackedall reported Work-Related fatalities of Brazilian immigrant workers, despite the lack of nationality information in death certificates. The cooperation between the Boston Public Health Commission andthe Brazilian Immigrant Center detected and documented a significant lead poisoning problem forBrazilian construction workers, especially painters.

The successful partnerships with public agencies and community organizations suggest thatBrazilian immigrant workers are not hard to reach if there are resources available to fund collaborative

work to identify and prevent workplace health and safety hazards. Since this is the first project conductedin the United States to collect such data, we hope that our results will stimulate further research in otherstates where there are large Brazilian communities, such as New York, Florida, New Jersey, andCalifornia.

4 5


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Survey respondents were Brazilian immigrants, born in Brazil, eighteen years old or older, who were working or had worked in the U.S. in the twelve months prior to the interview. A questionnaire wasadministered to 626 participants using a cross-sectional study design. Interviews were conducted fromMarch 31st 2005 to November 30th 2006. Recruitment for the survey employed convenience andsnowballing sampling. Selection was not random, though the recruitment included different cities anddifferent locations within those cities.

Socio-Demographic Profile Table 1 shows that the gender distribution of survey

respondents is balanced between males and females as foundin other surveys of Brazilian immigrants in Massachusetts(City of Boston, 2006; Project COBWEB, 2007; Lima andSiqueira, 2007).

Workers age ranged between 18 and 71. The average age was 35. The majority (64.3%) was in the 20-39 age group.Considering that in this survey only people over 18 years old

were interviewed, this distribution is similar to the one found indata collected in the Brazilian Consulate in 2003 (ProjectCOBWEB, 2007).

78% had a high school degree or less. Only 10.4%reported achievement of college or associate/bachelorsdegree. These findings are similar to the 2000 Census data(Lima & Siqueira, 2007).

Most respondents were born in the state of Minas Gerais(50.7%), followed by Paran (8.8%), Esprito Santo (8.3%), SoPaulo (5.9%), Santa Catarina (5.4%), Gois (4 %), Bahia andRio de Janeiro (2.9% each). There is little difference from thedistribution found in the 2003 Consulate data, though it is

worth noting that many of the surveys were collected inLowell, where a large number of immigrants from the state of Paran live.

Survey of Working Conditions ofBrazilian Immigrant Workers in Massachusetts

3 The average time of residence in the U.S. was 4.3 years, ranging from a few months to 22 years. Timeof residence in Massachusetts was very similar (average of 4.2 years), indicating that most Braziliansurveyed immigrated directly to Massachusetts.

The majority of survey respondents lived in Lowell, Allston/Brighton, andSomerville (48.3%). Those are very popular areas of residence among Brazilians andparallel the location of the sites were most interviews were conducted. Data from theBrazilian Consulate show a different geographic distribution, but both Somervilleand Lowell are included within the most frequent places of residence.

Allston/Brighton had high frequency in our survey because many interviews wereconducted in the office of the BIC. The same situation applies to Lowell (table 2).

When asked whether or not they intended to stay in the U.S., 55.9%answered positively, 25.4% negatively, and 18.7% did not know how long they

wanted to stay in the U.S. Most participants planned tostay in the U.S. for 5 years (46%) - a typical answer of sojourners - while 17.4 % didnt have plans to go back toBrazil at the time of the survey, suggesting that those

were the settlers in the sample (table 3).Most Brazilians interviewed had low English

proficiency. Almost 60% had very low or low proficiency forspeaking and reading in English. Their ability to understand English was better,

with 45.1% reporting good or regular level of understanding. Thus, poor Englishskills may lead to health and safety problems in the workplace because Brazilianimmigrant workers would not be able to a) communicate adequately withsupervisors and coworkers, and b) comprehend information provided in Englishin case they are trained in English.

Table 4 shows the types of businesses where Brazilians work. The threemost common

businesses were cleaning services(32.4%) - including commercial anddomestic cleaning- construction(27.6%), and food and restaurantservices (17.6%).

Table 5 shows the types of jobsheld by Brazilian immigrant workers inMassachusetts. Construction jobs(painters, carpenters, laborers, roofers,among others) were the most commonfor males (26%). Housecleaning wasthe most common for females (25%).Food and restaurant jobs were the thirdmost frequent jobs (14.5%), including cooks, assistant cooks, dishwashers,

waiters/waitresses, and cashiers.

Cities/townsof residence

Table 2

Cities N

Boston Allston/BrightonEast Boston

LowellSomervilleEverettMaldenRevereMedfordQuincyFraminghamCambridgePeabodyWatertownWeymouthArlingtonBrooklineNewtonOthers Total

15912529

1205733261817161514101010

777

100626

Settler or Sojourner Plans

Table 3

How long do you plan to stay in the U.S.?

N %

0-2 years3-5 years6-8 years9-10 yearsMore than

10 yearsMy whole lifeAs long as the U.S.government allows meOtherDon't knowMissingTotal

133155

2737

20109

716

1202

626

21.224.8

4.35.9

3.217.4

1.12.6

19.20.3

100.0

Gender

Age

Educational Attainment

State of birth

FemaleMale Total

0-1920-2425-3031-3435-3940-4445-4950-5455-5960 + Total

Less than high schoolHigh schoolSome collegeCollege/Bachelor'sdegree/ Associate's degreeGraduate degreeor higher

Total

Minas GeraisParanEsprito SantoSo PauloSanta CatarinaGoisBahiaRio de JaneiroStates with less than 1% Total

312314626

1086

11297

1079051362412

625

265220

60

65

15625

3175552373425181869

625

49.850.2

100.0

1.613.817.915.517.114.4

8.25.83.81.9

100.0

42.435.2

9.6

10.4

2.4100.0

50.78.88.35.95.44.02.92.9

11.0100.0

Var iable F requency (N)

Percent (%)

Variable

Sample CharacteristicsTable 1

Types of JobsTable 5

Job NConstruction workerHousecleanerRestaurant/Bakery/Fast Food worker

JanitorLandscaper

Newspaper/food delivererSecretary/Administrative Assistant

Babysitter/Home careHairdresserManagerInterpreterLaundry workerOthers Total

163159

913923

17

151010

876

78626

Types of BusinessesTable 4

Type of Business N %CleaningServices/HousecleaningConstructionFood and RestaurantsOther ServicesHealth Services

RetailManufacturingCommunication and MediaLandscapingBeauty ServicesAdministrative ServicesEducationReligious and Social ServicesBaby SittingDeliveryFinancial ServicesMissing Total

203173110

2519

1716151110

8443332

626

32.427.617.6

4.03.0

2.72.62.41.81.61.30.60.60.50.50.50.3

100.0

67


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However, they also reported several symptoms in the last year (table 6). Musculoskeletal pain is themost frequent symptom, mainly in the back, arms, and legs. Exhaustion is also very prevalent. Thesesymptoms can be associated with many job tasks performed by Brazilian immigrant workers, becausemost worked in demanding jobs in the cleaning, construction, and food and restaurant industries. High

workloads, time pressures, repetitive and awkward postures, are some of the risk factors that these workers are usually exposed to (NIOSH, 2007; Goldsheyder). They also have to face job insecurity,literacy barriers, racial and ethnic discrimination, inadequate safety training and others (Friedman-Gimenez, 1994; Levy & Wegmann, 2000; de Castro et al, 2006; Seixas et al, 2008).

VariableRelative Distribution of Perceived Workplace InjuriesFigure 1

Never Almost neverSometimesFrequentlyVery frequentlyMissing

39.8%

23.8%

30.7%

4.2%

2.2%

0.2%

VariableRelative Distribution of Work-Related Diseases,Injuries, or Symptoms in the Last Year

Figure 2

YesNoDon't knowMissing

42.3%

56.5%

0.7%

0.5%

VariableFrequency of Safety and Health TrainingFigure 3

Yes

No20.6%

79.4%

About 42% of respondentsreported some Work-Relatedproblem (injury, disease, orsymptom) in the last year(figure 2). Musculoskeletaldisorders, back pain,headaches, injuries from falls,cuts in hands, respiratory problems, allergies, and stress

were the most prevalent Work-Related problems.

Almost 80 % of the workerssurveyed did not get healthand safety training in Brazil,nor in the U.S. (figure 3).

Figure 4 shows that most respondents perceived their health status as very good or good (67%).

Symptoms in the Last Year Table 6

Symptoms N %

Musculoskeletal Pain

Forced vision/painful eyesStomach pain, burn, acid reflux, bad digestionSkin disorders/spotsCirculatory problemsRespiratory problemsExtreme tirednessIrritabilitySleep disordersHeadacheDepression periods

453394412292302223266300254

8107126124395318257372216

72.462.965.846.648.235.642.547.940.6

1.317.120.119.863.150.841.159.434.5

Back ArmsLegsNeck ShouldersWristsHands/fingersFeet

Variable Self-Reported Health StatusFigure 4

45.7%

21.1%

29.1%

3.2%0.8%

Very Good Good Regular Bad Very Bad

8 9

Figure 1 shows that only about 6% reported highfrequency of injuries intheir workplace


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As shown in figure 7, cuts, bites, and open wounds were the most frequent injuries reported (26%),followed by fractures (17%), back injury/pain (14%) and sprain, strain, or dislocation (14%).

4 Workers compensation data were collected at the Brazilian Immigrant Center, where Brazilian

workers who suffered Work-Related injuries look for legal support and medical referrals. These datastarted to be collected by BIC staff in 2003. This report describes results from 2003 to 2007. The caseclassification used here is based on the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for injury surveillance.

147 cases of Work-Related injuries and diseases were filed at the Brazilian Immigrant Centerbetween 2003 and 2007. There were 136 cases of injuries and 11 cases of occupational diseases,including lead poisoning.

Figure 5 displays the absolute frequency of injuries and diseases per year of occurrence. There was ahigher frequency of cases in 2005 and 2006, and a considerable number of cases through mid-2007.

This pattern can be partially explained by activities conducted by Project COBWEB, which increasedcommunity awareness of workplace health and safety through newspaper articles, radio shows, and

worker training. Almost 20% of the case reports did not have any information on the injury date.

Worker Compensation Casesof Brazilian Immigrant Workers

Construction workers were the most affected by Work-Related injuries and diseases. Laborers,carpenters, and painters were responsible for 45% of the cases (figure 6). Janitors and housecleaners,landscapers, and food and restaurant workers (cooks, dishwashers, and bakers) also represented animportant percentage of cases (26.5%).

VariableNumber of Cases of Work-Related Injuries/Diseases by Year, 2003-2007 Figure 5

1

147

20000

2001 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Missing Total

40

80

120

160

1 58

3848

1630

Year

Numberof cases

Source: BIC Database

Variable

Relative Distribution of Cases of Work-Related Injuries/Diseases by Occupation, 2003-2007

Figure 6

Constructionworker/LaborerCarpenterPainterCleaning servicesLandscaperCookDishwasherBakerOthers

17.0%

16.8%

7.5%

29.3%

10.9%

6.1%5.4%

4.1%

3.4%


Variable

Distribution of Cases of Work-Related Injuries/Diseasesby Nature of Injury, 2003-2007

Figure 7

1

b o r

n n d

C u t s ,

i t e s o p e

w o u

s0

25,9

Nature of Injuries

Source: BIC Databa

Percentageof cases

5

10

15

20

25

30

F r a c t u

r e

a c k u r y

B i n j

/ P a i n

S p

t r a n ,

d l o c

t

r a i n , s

i i s

a i o n

o i n f o r

m t

N

a i o n

c k e l

t a d

a s

M u s u

l e s e

l i s e

e

A p u

t t

m a i o

n r B u n

r i t t

I r a i o

n

C o n c u s

s i o n

C h e m

i c a l n

t o x i c

t

I a i o

n

a d x

L e I n t o i

c a t i o n

s p i r t

i s e a s e

R e a o

r y D

17,014,3 14,3

5,4 5,4 4,1 3,4 3,42,0 2,0 1,4 1,4

10 11


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Figure 8 shows that stabs or cuts were the most frequent mechanisms of injuries (about 26%),followed by falls (23%) and struck by/hit by person or object (about 14%). Ladders or stairs were theobjects or tools responsible for the injuries in about 12% of the cases. 79% of the cases needed hospitalcare, indicating that these injuries were probably the most serious. Only 60.5% of the cases werereported as Work-Related when workers sought medical care. About 20% of the expenses with medicalcare were paid by the Free Care Pool insurance program of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Distribution of Cases of Work-Related Injuries/Diseasesby Mechanism, 2003-2007

Figure 8

Data on Work-Related fatalities were collected through a joint effort of the MassachusettsDepartment of Public Health (DPH), the Brazilian Immigrant Center, Project COBWEB, community representatives, and local Brazilian media. The information about the cases was collected fromnewspapers, a hotline at DPH, family members and coworkers of the victims, company representatives,

and death certificates. Some fatality cases were followed up until the end of fatality investigationsconducted by inspectors of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). There were 16 Work-Related fatalities of Brazilian workers between 1999 and 2007 (table 7). All

workers were male between 18 and 59 years old. Most victims worked in construction (56%). Themajority was from the state of Minas Gerais, which is the state in Brazil that sends the most emigrants tothe U.S. Fall was the mechanism of death for 50% of the cases, but violence in the workplace and struck by vehicles were also important. All these deaths were preventable if Brazilian immigrants worked foremployers that provided adequate workplace safety and health training and personal protectiveequipment to employees, followed safe work procedures, and implemented good communication andsafety warning systems.

Work-Related Fatal Injuries ofBrazilian Immigrant Workers

1

2

3

45

6

7

8

9

10

1112

13

14

15

16

5/7/1999

4/5/2000

1/8/2002

3/11/20024/11/2002

7/2/2002

12/19/2002

7/11/2003

2/16/2004

5/21/2004

10/9/20043/10/2005

12/19/2005

3/4/2006

9/15/2006

4/9/2007

male

male

male

malemale

male

male

male

male

male

malemale

male

male

male

male

Date of death

Sex Case

48

42

41

3633

37

41

39

18

35

4038

24

27

59

30

Resplendor, MinasGerais, BrazilSalinas, MinasGerais, BrazilIvaipora, Parana,BrazilBrazilGovernadorValadares,Minas Gerais,BrazilColatina, EspiritoSanto, BrazilAnapolis, Goias,BrazilMinas Gerais,BrazilBrazil

Brazil

BrazilRio Grande do Sul,BrazilIvaipora, Parana,BrazilAlpercata, MinasGerais, BrazilBento Goncalves, RioGrande do Sul, BrazilIcara, Santa Catarina,Brazil

Shipper

Carpenter

Laborer

LaborerForeman

Laborer

Laborer

LaborerSalesman

Maintenance

RooferGraniteworkerRoofer

Laborer

Laborer

Laborer

Woburn

Salem

Gloucester

AshlandNatick

Boston

Newton

Cambridge

Boston

Worcester

LawrenceMarlborough

Pembroke

DowntownBostonJamaica Plain

Revere

Fall from ladder

Fall from second floor

Struck by backhoe

Fall from a treeTractor rollover

Compressed armin stone crusherFall from ladder

Fall from roof

Stab wound onthe neck caused bya robberStabbed in the chest

- homicideElectrocutionCrushed bygranite slabsFall from ladder

Fall from scaffold

Fall from deck

Struck by a bobcat

Bakery

Construction

Construction

LandscapeConstruction

Cleaning Ind.

HVACCompanyConstruction

Pharmacy

Restaurant

ConstructionGranite Industry

Construction

Construction

Construction

Construction

Age Placeof Birth

Occupation Business Circumstanceof death

Place of Accident

Work-Related Fatal Injuries of Brazilian Immigrantsin Massachusetts, 1999-2007

Table 7

Source: Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Occupational Health Surveillance Program, 2008

Percentage

0,6Solid Material

Polishing

Ground Impact

Awkward Postures

Traffic Injury

Poisoning

Fire, Flames or Heat

No information

Chemical Contact

Repetitive Movement

Lifting Load

Struck by/hit byPerson or Object

Fall

0,6

0,6

0,6

1,3

2,7

2,7

2,7

3,4

4,0

12,2

13,6

Stab or Cut

23,1

25,8

Agression

5,4

12 13


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Adults and childrens health can be affected by lead, which is a heavy metal that can cause anemia, nervous systemdysfunction, kidney problems, hypertension, infertility, and miscarriage in adults (MDPH, 2005; La Dou, 2004). Childrenunder the age of six are at greatest risk because their neurological system is still in development.

The workplace is the most common source of exposure to lead for adults. Painters in Massachusetts are frequently exposed to lead when scraping paint or power sanding paint because the state has a significant stock of old houses,

which were painted with lead-based paint. Painters may inhale or ingest paint dust without adequate respiratory protection. They may also carry lead dust in their clothing and thus contaminate their family members and children. Astudy in Massachusetts found that 39 (80%) of 49 workers with blood lead levels of 60 g/dL or greater worked inconstruction. Twenty of them (51%) were bridge and house painters, and seventeen (44%) were deleaders (Rabin et al,1994). Unpublished data on blood lead levels of immigrant workers reported to the Massachusetts Occupational Lead

Registry between 2001-2007 shows thatBrazilian painters represented 37% of thecases of elevated blood levels. Routinescreening procedures adopted by Community Health Centers have increasedthe detection of elevated blood lead levelsamongst Brazilian painters.

The Massachusetts Occupational LeadPoisoning Registry defines a case of elevatedblood lead level (BLL) as an individual 15years or older who has a reported BLL equalor greater to 25 g/dl and for whom there

were no reports of elevated BLL in theprevious calendar year (MDPH, 2005). TheOSHA construction lead standard defineselevated lead levels only in cases of BLLs =40 g/dl. Under the OSHA lead standardfor construction and state deleading

regulations workers with BLLs =50 g/dl should be treated and removed from further exposure.Based on the serious health impact of lead poisoning and on the fact that there are many

Brazilian painters in Massachusetts, the Brazilian Immigrant Center (BIC), as a result of ProjectCOBWEB, developed a partnership with the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program of the BostonPublic Health Commission (BPHC) to educate and screen Brazilian construction workers.

The BIC and the BPHC conducted three workshops in Portuguese for Brazilianconstruction workers, painters, and residents of Allston and East Boston. The workshops firsteducated Brazilians about the danger of this invisible enemy that can cause serious harm to thehealth of adults and children. Blood samples were collected from adults and children after the

workshops. We only present here the blood lead screening results for construction workers. Alladults who participated in the workshops were male construction workers.61 blood lead samples were collected. The mean blood lead level found was 12.1 g/dl.

16% of the samples had blood lead levels higher than 25 g/dl and 8% had levels higher than 40g/dl (figure 9).

The data shown in table 8 indicates that lead poisoning may be a prevalent problemamongst Brazilian construction workers, especially painters. More data need to be collected to confirm these findings.Lead awareness training seems to be a good preventive strategy to reduce lead exposure since most Brazilian painters arenot aware of lead paint hazards and lead screening procedures.

References

COBWEB Project. A Report on Brazilian Immigrant Workers in Massachusetts .2007.

City of Boston. Imagine all the people Brazilian immigrants in Boston. September,2006.

Goldsheyder, D.; Schecter-Weiner, S.; Nordin, M.; Hiebert, R. Prevention of Work-Related musculoskeletal disorders in construction laborers. Occupational andIndustrial Orthopaedic Center (OIOC), Hospital for Joint Diseases OrthopaedicInstitute, Mount Sinai NYU Health. Graduate Program of Ergonomics andBiomechanics, New York University.

Holder, Y. et al. Injury Surveillance Guidelines. Published in conjunction with theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA, by the World HealthOrganization. 200.

La Dou, J. Current Occupational and Environmental Medicine. McGraw Hill, 3rdEdition, 2004.

Lima, A. & Siqueira, E. Brazilians in the U.S. and Massachusetts: A Demographic and Economic Profile . The Mauricio Gaston Institute for Latino CommunityDevelopment and Public Policy. November, 2007.

Massachusetts Department of Public Health/Occupational Health SurveillanceProgram. Lead at Work - Elevated Blood Lead Levels in Massachusetts Workers,19962001. November 2005

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Simple Solutions:Ergonomics for Construction Workers. NIOSH Publication No. 2007-122, April2007.

Rabin,R.; Brooks,D.; Davis,L. Elevated Blood Lead Levels among Construction

Workers in the Massachusetts Occupational Lead Registry. American Journal of Public Health. Vol. 84, N 9, September 1994.

U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Standards- 29 CFR Safety and Health Regulations for Constructi on Lead.http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10641

6 High Blood Lead Levels in BrazilianConstruction Workers

Variable

Frequency of Blood Lead Levels ( g/dL) amongBrazilian Construction Workers, 2007

Figure 9

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