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Is anyone else that works in the shooting or firearms industry lead tested? If so what are your counts and how do you manage your lead levels? I work in a new indoor gun range with a pretty good lead filtration system but being an instructor and CRSO keeps me on the range quite a bit, now my levels are in the yellow and wont come down, now it looks like I get to take a break from the range.

Any suggestions on how to get lead levels down?

The only thing I could find was medical intervention known as chelation therapy. If I understand it correctly, it is usually not used until it is absolutely necessary because the treatment itself is not without its own risk.

Seriously, wear a respirator. The little paper kind will catch a lot of the lead there are other options besides not shooting.

BTW where did you get tested? Is this a special test or can your doctor do it?

MoJo wrote:Seriously, wear a respirator. The little paper kind will catch a lot of the lead there are other options besides not shooting.

BTW where did you get tested? Is this a special test or can your doctor do it?

Any doctor should be able to order it up.

My company has installed ventilation systems that are specifically designed to catch very small particals of lead. We have done it at the Irving PD range and also the JNRS range. They have to be tested for filtration on strict EPA standards and the catch area has to be cleaned I think on a yearly basis or when levels exceed the minimum. I would have thought that all indoor ranges would be required to have some sort of ventilation/fioltration system.

Look here.
http://www.utexas.edu/safety/ehs/msds/lead.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
If you don't want to read the whole thing skip down to the TREATMENT AND PREVENTION section.

I don't shoot indoors any more but I still wash my hands and face after shooting. Even using something like baby wipes is beneficial.
I definitely change clothes when I get home. I cringe when I see folks eating and smoking while shooting.

You have to treat lead like the toxic chemical that it is.

Gringop

MoJo wrote:Seriously, wear a respirator. The little paper kind will catch a lot of the lead there are other options besides not shooting.

BTW where did you get tested? Is this a special test or can your doctor do it?

Like others have posted I believe your doctor can test you however we have a team come to our location to draw blood about once a month.

I have been told our filtration system is top notch, it definitely keeps the bays smoke free and we shoot a LOT of full-auto. I can't imagine the lead counts of "other" indoor ranges I am not above wearing a resperator but I dont believe my students could understand what I am saying very well.