Your child can get lead poisoning if someone in your home works with lead at their job. You cannot see the lead, but a worker can bring lead home on their hands, face, work clothes, shoes, and in a car.
If someone in your home works with lead, they should:
- Change into clean clothes and shoes at work, before getting into a car or going home. All clothes, hats, and shoes should be kept in a plastic bag.
- Wash their face and hands with soap and warm water at work before going home, and take a shower as soon as they get home.
- Wash work clothes separate from all other clothes. Keep work shoes outside the house.
Lead can hurt your child. Most children who are poisoned by lead do not look or act sick. The only way to know if your child has lead poisoning is to get a special test for lead. Ask your doctor if your child should be tested.
Someone that does these jobs might work with lead:
- remove or repaint old house paint
- recycle batteries or use parts from batteries
- make or fix radiators
- tear down or remodel houses or buildings recycle scrap metal or electronics
- melt, cast, or grind brass, bronze, or other metal
- work at a shooting range
- weld or solder
- glaze ceramic