Construction Hygiene and Ergonomics Program: The Blueprint Guides

Blueprint Guides for Managing Lead and
Silica Control Programs in Construction

The Blueprint Guides are designed to aid construction managers in planning and implementing health hazard control programs for lead and silica. The guides are “how-to” manuals, providing instructions on managing important components of lead and silica programs. The aim of the guides is to enhance the integration of such programs into the day-to-day operations of infrastructure rehabilitation projects. They are designed with the following principles in mind:

		Reliance on occupational health best practices
		Incorporation of health hazard control into the project from beginning to end
		Compatibility with current OSHA standards and owner specifications
		Integration of training and experience of labor into managing controls

Each guide includes step-by-step instructions on planning, implementing and evaluating key program components. The guides also contain explanatory notes and hints, as well as hyperlinks to checklists, sample forms, infosheets, and websites containing useful information related to managing a lead and/or silica health hazard control program.

An essential component in the development of the Guides has been CHEPs' partnership with the construction contractors and building trades unions. Contractors, union representatives, and workers have assisted in the development and evaluation of the Guides by providing access to construction sites, participating in research activities, sharing knowledge about construction operations and practices, and field-testing drafts of the Guides.

The Blueprint is a joint project of CHEP and Hunter College, Urban Public Health Program, CUNY. and is supported by a grant from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health through the Center to Protect Workers Rights.