The discovery of lead-containing paint inside the atrium of the former Thompson Center – now being transformed into Google’s new Chicago headquarters – has sparked an OSHA investigation and led to blood testing for tradespeople working to turn the building, NBC 5 Investigates has learned.
The project manager, Clark Construction, responsible for the construction phase of the project, confirmed to NBC 5 Investigates that the company became aware of lead-containing paint on the structural steel elements inside the building’s atrium.
A spokesman would not say exactly how that discovery was made or when, but an OSHA inspection form reviewed by NBC 5 Investigates shows it was opened on February 20.
When approached by NBC 5 Investigates, workers at the site in the Loop declined to be interviewed on-camera citing fear of retribution for their jobs. But several told NBC 5 Investigates off camera that they were aware of the lead remediation work being done. At least two said Clark held a meeting last month to inform of them what was happening to alert them of the availability to obtain blood tests check the lead levels in their blood.
Repeated calls placed to various unions over the past two weeks have not been returned.
Clark Construction did confirm based on what was described as a “routine environmental testing” that all work to remediate the lead-containing paint inside the former Thompson Center needed to be completed by a licensed abatement contractor before general work begins in those areas.
A spokesman for Clark Construction would not say exactly when the discovery was made, how many construction people have had blood tests. The company did confirm that they are “not aware of any test results showing elevated levels of lead.”
In a statement attributed to Lant Fogarty, a project executive, said: “At Clark, the health and safety of our workforce is paramount. We are committed to maintaining a safe and compliant work environment at the Thompson Center site. Clark is fully cooperating with OSHA on this matter, and we continue to follow all established safety procedures and environmental protocols.”
In a follow-up statement, Fogarty said: “The identified areas were limited to structural certain steel elements in the atrium. From the moment we were notified of potential lead-containing paint, we immediately took additional precautions to protect the workers and remediate the limited areas identified as having lead-containing paint using a licensed abatement contractor,” his statement read.
A spokesman for OSHA declined to provide details but confirmed their ongoing investigation – noting “this investigation remains open and ongoing. As a reminder, OSHA has six months to complete this investigation.”
Dr. Susan Buchanan, a physician and associate professor in environmental and occupational health sciences at the University of Illinois – Chicago said she “would not expect OSHA to take six months to put out findings from a lead investigation. They’re not that complicated.”
When asked if workers should be concerned about lead exposure, Buchanan said: “Well, what we say in health toxicology is the dose makes the poison. So, it depends on how much you got exposed to,” Dr. Buchanan said. “We don’t have a lot of evidence that a little bit of exposure in adults is going to cause long-term damage. That’s in contrast to children whose brains are still developing.”
During an interview with Dr. Buchanan, NBC 5 Investigates asked her about Clark Construction’s response that it was not aware of any elevated levels of lead.
“I would guess that any physician that saw a worker with a level over 10 to 15 micrograms per deciliter is going to want to know where that exposure is coming from and is going to want a decrease that exposure,” she said.
As Dr. Buchanan points out — the industry standard for removing a construction worker occurs when their blood lead level is greater than 50 microgram per deciliter. They can return if it’s lower than 40. But Dr. Buchanan argues even that’s too high.
“I would consider that way too much lead in your system,” she said.
To be clear we don’t know how many workers were tested, what their results were or how it was discovered – Clark won’t say. Neither will the unions that represent the tradespeople.
But OSHA acknowledges on its website that over the past 30 years, there’s been extensive research that shows “that adverse health effects can occur in adults with lower BLLs than previously recognized…”
Dr. Buchanan says that all boils down to when in doubt, check it out.
“If there’s a suspicion that you might have been exposed to lead in the workplace, go to your doctor, go to the health department, ask for a lead test. It’s easy enough, yes, I would recommend it,” Dr. Buchanan said.
Workers we spoke to off camera told us they were aware that several of their colleagues had been tested. Dr. Buchanan further suggested that even if their tests are low, they may want to consider changing their clothes before entering their car or home to avoid spreading lead dust to children.
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