Results of an intervention to improve lead safety among painting contractors and their employees.
BACKGROUND
Residential and commercial painters disturb lead paint on older buildings, exposing workers and potentially building occupants. An intervention strategy was evaluated for improving lead safety in these small businesses.


METHODS
Twenty-one painting contractors received 32 hr of training, technical assistance, and a safety manual; their employees attended an 8-hr training session. Impact evaluation involved interviewing participants at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 1 year later, and conducting contractor focus groups post-intervention.


RESULTS
Employers met 15 of 27 target objectives and workers met 3 of 12; however, even in areas where objectives were not met, both groups made improvements.


CONCLUSIONS
Motivated contractors and their employees can make moderate improvements in lead-safe practices if provided with extensive training and technical assistance. Changes that are costly, unfamiliar, or perceived as a threat to work quality are more difficult to implement.
Materna
Barbara L
BL
Occupational Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (OLPPP), Occupational Health Branch, California Department of Health Services, Oakland, CA 94612, USA. bmaterna@dhs.ca.gov
Harrington
David
D
Scholz
Peter
P
Payne
Susan F
SF
Stubbs
Harrison A
HA
Hipkins
Karen
K
Merideth
Emily
E
Kirsch
Luz
L
Lomax
Geoffrey
G
Coyle
Patricia
P
Uratsu
Connie
C
D000328:Adult; D003284:Contract Services; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000592:standards*; D016272:Occupational Health; D010150:Paint / Q000009:adverse effects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012495:San Francisco; D017132:Workplace / Q000592:standards
D007854:Lead