 Do you work in an indoor ring range?

 Do you use indoor ring ranges?

 Do you cast bullets?

 Do you reload your own ammunition?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you

and your family may have an increased risk for

lead poisoning.

Who is at risk?

Indoor ring ranges are a source of lead exposure for

How does lead exposure happen?

Most ammunition contains lead. Lead exposure occurs

in indoor ring ranges when health and safety controls

are not in place to protect shooters and ring range

staff from exposure to lead. When a gun is red, lead

vapors are released into the air and can be breathed

into the body. Lead dust can also settle on food, water,

clothes and other nearby objects. You can ingest lead

dust when you touch lead contaminated surfaces,

then eat, drink or smoke. People who work at a ring

and reproductive system. Symptoms may include

stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, mood swings,

headaches and confusion. A blood lead test can help to

distinguish lead poisoning from other illnesses.

Workers and hobby shooters can also carry

lead home on their clothing and skin, and

potentially expose their families to toxic

levels of lead. Lead in the home is especially

dangerous for children and women of

childbearing age.

reduce airborne lead levels at the ring line. General

exhaust ventilation is not adequate. Indoor ring

ranges must ensure supplied air moves steadily

across all shooting booths to carry the gun smoke

away from the shooter’s face and directly down the

range where it is exhausted, ltered and discharged.

A separate ventilation system exclusively for the

range is recommended.

 Never eat, drink or smoke inside a ring range.

 Wash hands immediately after shooting, cleaning

 Wash clothes or uniforms used at the ring range

separately from your family’s clothing.

 Have your blood lead level tested routinely.

 Never place lead bullets in your mouth.

Bullet casting and reloading are also common sources

of lead exposure. These practices produce fumes and

tiny dust particles that can be inhaled or ingested. Safety

precautions to prevent lead exposure include:

 Only cast or reload bullets in work spaces properly

ventilated to control lead exposure.

Guidance for firing range operators

and owners:

OSHA regulations include:

 Exposure monitoring

• Conduct air monitoring for lead.

 Engineering controls

• Install an effective supply air and exhaust

ventilation system.

• Routinely evaluate the effectiveness of the

system in controlling exposure.

• Maintain and replace air lters regularly.

 Housekeeping and hygiene practices

• Ensure employees remove contaminated

clothing before leaving the worksite.

 Medical surveillance and hazard communication

• Provide workers with initial and periodic

medical monitoring for lead exposure.

• Ensure that workers are aware of the risk of

lead poisoning and know symptoms that may

indicate a health problem.

 Administrative Controls

• Rotate workers’ assignments in order to limit

provide employees with PPE, including an

appropriate respirator.

• Fit test and train employees prior to allowing

them to use respirators.

• Lead will pass through paper, so paper dust

masks are not protective for this purpose.

Who to contact for more information:

Louisiana Department of Health Office of

Public Health Section of Environmental

Epidemiology and Toxicology Adult Lead

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

(OSHA) Consultation

This free consultation service is designed to help

employers recognize and control potential safety

and health hazards at their worksites, improve their

safety and health program, and assist in training

employees.

OSHA consultation does not issue citations

or penalties, or report violations to OSHA

enforcement staff.