Technical Assistance Report TA 80-11, St. Bernard Police Department Indoor Firing Range, St. Bernard, Ohio

摘要

Industrial hygiene surveys were conducted on November 16, 1979 and January 30, 1980 at the police (SIC-9221) department's indoor firing range in St. Bernard, Ohio. The city of St. Bernard requested the investigation to determine if hazards from airborne inorganic lead (7439921) existed at the range during qualification shooting tests of service revolvers for 10 to 12 police officers. Personal breathing zone air samples were taken on 10 offices while firing their revolvers. Analysis was performed by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Ventilation measurements and smoke tube observations were taken to evaluate the dilution ventilation system at the range. Shooters were exposed to lead raging from 0.17 to 32.5 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/cu m), with a mean of 9.7 mg/cu m. The OSHA standard for lead is 0.05 mg/cu m for an 8 hour time weighted average exposure. Although the shooters only use the firing range for 10 to 15 minutes per month, the authors conclude that use of the firing range presents potential health hazards. They recommend corrections in the improper design of the range and ventilation system to ameliorate potential health hazards from lead exposures.