University ofMassachusettsLowellUMASS

PROJECT

COBWEB

PROJECT

A REPORT ON BRAZILIAN IMMIGRANT WORKERS IN MASSACHUSETTS

COBWEB

A REPORT ON BRAZILIAN IMMIGRANT WORKERS IN MASSACHUSETTS

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 Siqueira3 Solomont Way – Suite 3Lowell, MA 01854-5127Telephone: 978-934-3147E-mail: carlos_siqueira@uml.eduwww.uml.edu/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 Occupational Health Surveillance Program of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

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

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-governmental organization (NGO) founded in 1995 for Brazilian immigrant workers in Boston – the Massachusetts Coalition 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 the Massachusetts 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 in Massachusetts, particularly in the eastern part of the state, to promote better health and safety conditions in the work environment. Project COBWEB was financed by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) – a U.S. government agency that has financed other similar projects with the goal 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, on occupational 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 educational materials to disseminate information on work environment hazards to the Brazilian community;

Recruit and train a team of peer-trainers/advocates in teaching techniques and methods to 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 Parceria 1This 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 in our analysis include:

A survey of 626 Brazilian immigrant workers.

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

All 16 fatalities of Brazilian immigrant workers between 1999 and 2007. There is no record of fatalities of Brazilian workers prior to 1999.

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

Introduction 2

We think that our successful efforts to reach out to hundreds of Brazilian immigrant workers allowed us to collect primary data in unusual locations and respond to worker needs as they arose throughout the five years of the project. The partnership between the Brazilian Immigrant Center, the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and MassCOSH was the centerpiece for that. For example, worker compensation cases were collected at the BIC because of the joint outreach work that informed Brazilian workers of their rights for worker compensation, even when those workers were undocumented. Furthermore, collaborative work between the BIC, UMass Lowell, and the Occupational Health Surveillance Program of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health tracked all 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 and the Brazilian Immigrant Center detected and documented a significant lead poisoning problem for Brazilian construction workers, especially painters.

The successful partnerships with public agencies and community organizations suggest that Brazilian 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 conducted in the United States to collect such data, we hope that our results will stimulate further research in other states where there are large Brazilian communities, such as New York, Florida, New Jersey, and California.

4 5

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 was administered to 626 participants using a cross-sectional study design. Interviews were conducted from March 31st 2005 to November 30th 2006. Recruitment for the survey employed convenience and snowballing sampling. Selection was not random, though the recruitment included different cities and different locations within those cities.

Socio-Demographic Profile

Table 1 shows that the gender distribution of survey respondents is balanced between males and females as found in other surveys of Brazilian immigrants in Massachusetts (City of Boston, 2006; Project COBWEB, 2007; Lima and Siqueira, 2007).

Worker’s 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 in data collected in the Brazilian Consulate in 2003 (Project COBWEB, 2007).

78% had a high school degree or less. Only 10.4% reported achievement of college or associate/bachelor’s degree. 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 Paraná (8.8%), Espírito Santo (8.3%), São Paulo (5.9%), Santa Catarina (5.4%), Goiás (4 %), Bahia and Rio de Janeiro (2.9% each). There is little difference from the distribution found in the 2003 Consulate data, though it is worth noting that many of the surveys were collected in Lowell, where a large number of immigrants from the state of Paraná live.

Survey of Working Conditions of Brazilian Immigrant Workers in Massachusetts

3The average time of residence in the U.S. was 4.3 years, ranging from a few months to 22 years. Time

of residence in Massachusetts was very similar (average of 4.2 years), indicating that most Brazilian surveyed immigrated directly to Massachusetts.

The majority of survey respondents lived in Lowell, Allston/Brighton, and Somerville (48.3%). Those are very popular areas of residence among Brazilians and parallel the location of the sites were most interviews were conducted. Data from the Brazilian Consulate show a different geographic distribution, but both Somerville and Lowell are included within the most frequent places of residence. Allston/Brighton had high frequency in our survey because many interviews were conducted 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 to stay in the U.S. for 5 years (46%) - a typical answer of sojourners - while 17.4 % didn’t have plans to go back to Brazil 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 for speaking and reading in English. Their ability to understand English was better, with 45.1% reporting good or regular level of understanding. Thus, poor English skills may lead to health and safety problems in the workplace because Brazilian immigrant workers would not be able to a) communicate adequately with supervisors and coworkers, and b) comprehend information provided in English in case they are trained in English.

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

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

Table 5 shows the types of jobs held by Brazilian immigrant workers in Massachusetts. Construction jobs (painters, carpenters, laborers, roofers, among others) were the most common for males (26%). Housecleaning was the most common for females (25%). Food and restaurant jobs were the third most frequent jobs (14.5%), including cooks, assistant cooks, dishwashers, waiters/waitresses, and cashiers.

Cities/towns of residence

Table 2

Cities N %

Boston Allston/Brighton East BostonLowellSomervilleEverettMaldenRevereMedfordQuincyFraminghamCambridgePeabodyWatertownWeymouthArlingtonBrooklineNewtonOthers Total

15912529

1205733261817161514101010777

100626

25.420.04.6

19.29.15.34.22.92.72.62.42.21.61.61.61.11.11.116

100

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 life As long as the U.S. government allows meOtherDon't knowMissing Total

1331552737

20109

716

1202

626

21.224.84.35.9

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's degree/ Associate's degreeGraduate degree or higher Total

Minas GeraisParanáEspírito SantoSão PauloSanta CatarinaGoiásBahiaRio de JaneiroStates with less than 1% Total

312314626

1086

11297

1079051362412

625

26522060

65

15625

3175552373425181869

625

49.850.2

100.0

1.613.817.915.517.114.48.25.83.81.9

100.0

42.435.29.6

10.4

2.4100.0

50.78.88.35.95.44.02.92.9

11.0100.0

Variable Frequency (N)

Percent(%)

Variable Sample Characteristics Table 1

Types of JobsTable 5

Job N %

Construction workerHousecleanerRestaurant/Bakery /Fast Food workerJanitorLandscaperNewspaper/food delivererSecretary /Administrative AssistantBabysitter/Home careHairdresserManagerInterpreterLaundry workerOthers Total

163159

91392317

151010876

78626

2625.4

14.56.23.72.7

2.41.61.61.31.1

112.5100

Types of BusinessesTable 4

Type of Business N %

Cleaning Services/HousecleaningConstructionFood and RestaurantsOther ServicesHealth ServicesRetailManufacturingCommunication and MediaLandscapingBeauty ServicesAdministrative ServicesEducationReligious and Social ServicesBaby SittingDeliveryFinancial ServicesMissing Total

203173110251917161511108443332

626

32.427.617.64.03.02.72.62.41.81.61.30.60.60.50.50.50.3

100.0

67

However, they also reported several symptoms in the last year (table 6). Musculoskeletal pain is the most frequent symptom, mainly in the back, arms, and legs. Exhaustion is also very prevalent. These symptoms can be associated with many job tasks performed by Brazilian immigrant workers, because most 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

NeverAlmost 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

YesNo20.6%

79.4%

About 42% of respondents reported some Work-Related problem (injury, disease, or symptom) in the last year (figure 2). Musculoskeletal disorders, 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 workers surveyed did not get health and 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

72.462.965.846.648.235.642.547.940.61.3

17.120.119.863.150.841.159.434.5

BackArmsLegsNeckShouldersWristsHands/fingersFeet

VariableSelf-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 high frequency of injuries in their workplace

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%).

4Worker’s 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 data started to be collected by BIC staff in 2003. This report describes results from 2003 to 2007. The case classification 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 Center between 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 a higher 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 increased community 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 Cases of 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 an important percentage of cases (26.5%).

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

1

147

2000

0

2001 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Missing Total

40

80

120

160

1 5 8

3848

1630

Year

Number of cases

Source: BIC Database

Variable

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

Figure 6

Construction worker/LaborerCarpenterPainterCleaning servicesLandscaperCookDishwasherBakerOthers

17.0%

16.8%

7.5%

29.3%

10.9%

6.1%5.4%

4.1%

3.4%

Source: BIC Database

Variable

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

Figure 7

1

b

or

n

nd

Cuts,

ites

ope

wou

s

0

25,9

Nature of Injuries

Source: BIC Database

Percentage of cases

5

10

15

20

25

30

Frac

ture

ack

ury

B

inj

/Pain

Sp

tran,

dloc

t

rain, s

i

isa

ion

o info

rmt

N

aion

c

kelta

das

Mus

ules

el

isee

Apu

tt

m

aion r

Bun

ritt

Ira

ion

Conc

ussio

n

Chem

ical nt

oxic

t

I

aion

ad

x

Le In

toica

tion

spir

t

iseas

e

Re

aor

y D

17,0

14,3 14,3

5,4 5,44,1 3,4 3,4 2,0 2,0 1,4 1,4

10 11

Source: BIC Database

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 the objects or tools responsible for the injuries in about 12% of the cases. 79% of the cases needed hospital care, indicating that these injuries were probably the most serious. Only 60.5% of the cases were reported as Work-Related when workers sought medical care. About 20% of the expenses with medical care were paid by the Free Care Pool insurance program of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

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

Figure 8

Data on Work-Related fatalities were collected through a joint effort of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), the Brazilian Immigrant Center, Project COBWEB, community representatives, and local Brazilian media. The information about the cases was collected from newspapers, 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 investigations conducted 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%). The majority was from the state of Minas Gerais, which is the state in Brazil that sends the most emigrants to the 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 for employers that provided adequate workplace safety and health training and personal protective equipment to employees, followed safe work procedures, and implemented good communication and safety warning systems.

Work-Related Fatal Injuries of Brazilian Immigrant Workers

5

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

SexCase

48

42

41

3633

37

41

39

18

35

4038

24

27

59

30

Resplendor, Minas Gerais, BrazilSalinas, Minas Gerais, BrazilIvaipora, Parana, BrazilBrazil Governador Valadares,Minas Gerais, BrazilColatina, Espirito Santo, BrazilAnapolis, Goias, Brazil Minas Gerais, BrazilBrazil

Brazil

BrazilRio Grande do Sul, BrazilIvaipora, Parana, BrazilAlpercata, Minas Gerais, BrazilBento Goncalves, Rio Grande do Sul, BrazilIcara, Santa Catarina, Brazil

Shipper

Carpenter

Laborer

LaborerForeman

Laborer

Laborer

LaborerSalesman

Maintenance

RooferGranite workerRoofer

Laborer

Laborer

Laborer

Woburn

Salem

Gloucester

Ashland Natick

Boston

Newton

Cambridge

Boston

Worcester

LawrenceMarlborough

Pembroke

Downtown BostonJamaica Plain

Revere

Fall from ladder

Fall from second floor

Struck by backhoe

Fall from a treeTractor rollover

Compressed arm in stone crusherFall from ladder

Fall from roof

Stab wound on the neck caused by a robber Stabbed in the chest - homicideElectrocutionCrushed bygranite slabs Fall from ladder

Fall from scaffold

Fall from deck

Struck by a bobcat

Bakery

Construction

Construction

LandscapeConstruction

Cleaning Ind.

HVAC CompanyConstruction

Pharmacy

Restaurant

ConstructionGranite Industry

Construction

Construction

Construction

Construction

Age Place of Birth

Occupation Business Circumstance of death

Place of Accident

Work-Related Fatal Injuries of Brazilian Immigrants in 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 by Person 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

Adults and children’s health can be affected by lead, which is a heavy metal that can cause anemia, nervous system dysfunction, kidney problems, hypertension, infertility, and miscarriage in adults (MDPH, 2005; La Dou, 2004). Children under 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. A study in Massachusetts found that 39 (80%) of 49 workers with blood lead levels of 60 µg/dL or greater worked in construction. 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 that Brazilian painters represented 37% of the cases of elevated blood levels. Routine screening procedures adopted by Community Health Centers have increased the detection of elevated blood lead levels amongst Brazilian painters.

The Massachusetts Occupational Lead Poisoning Registry defines a case of elevated blood lead level (BLL) as an individual 15 years or older who has a reported BLL equal or greater to 25 µg/dl and for whom there were no reports of elevated BLL in the previous calendar year (MDPH, 2005). The OSHA construction lead standard defines elevated lead levels only in cases of BLLs =40 µg/dl. Under the OSHA lead standard for construction and state deleading

regulations workers with BLLs =50 µg/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 Project COBWEB, developed a partnership with the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program of the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) to educate and screen Brazilian construction workers.

The BIC and the BPHC conducted three workshops in Portuguese for Brazilian construction workers, painters, and residents of Allston and East Boston. The workshops first educated Brazilians about the danger of this “invisible enemy” that can cause serious harm to the health 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. All adults who participated in the workshops were male construction workers.

61 blood lead samples were collected. The mean blood lead level found was 12.1 µg/dl. 16% of the samples had blood lead levels higher than 25 µg/dl and 8% had levels higher than 40 µg/dl (figure 9).

The data shown in table 8 indicates that lead poisoning may be a prevalent problem amongst 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 are not aware of lead paint hazards and lead screening procedures.

References 7COBWEB 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 and Industrial Orthopaedic Center (OIOC), Hospital for Joint Diseases Orthopaedic Institute, Mount Sinai NYU Health. Graduate Program of Ergonomics and Biomechanics, New York University. <http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:RcW9kRCT-0UJ:www.cramif.fr/pdf/th4/Paris/goldsheyder.PDF+Prevention+of+Work-Related+musculoskeletal+disorders+in+construction+laborers&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us>

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

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

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

Massachusetts Department of Public Health/Occupational Health Surveillance Program. Lead at Work - Elevated Blood Lead Levels in Massachusetts Workers, 1996–2001. November 2005

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

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, Nº 9, September 1994.

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

6 High Blood Lead Levels in Brazilian Construction Workers

Variable

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

µFigure 9

<1010 to 2425 to 3940 and +

63,9%8,2%

8,2%

Source: BIC Database

Blood Lead Levels (BLL) among Brazilian Construction Workers

Table 8

N %

<1010 to 1415 to 1920 to 2425 to 2930 to 3435 to 3940 to 4950 and +Total

3974112232

61

63.911.56.61.61.63.33.34.93.3

100

Frequency PercentBLL

(PB µg/dL)

19,7%

14 15