Get the Lead Out!!

Lead exposure is a serious health risk for law enforcement officers and others who work at shooting ranges. This guide provides the best practices to help reduce lead exposure and create a safe environment at both indoor and outdoor ranges. It also includes important health and safety regulations to help ensure compliance and safety.

Understanding Lead Exposure

Lead is a harmful metal often found in bullets. You can be exposed to lead by breathing dust or fumes, swallowing it, or touching it, picking up spent brass, and cleaning weapons. Long-term exposure can cause serious health problems, including damage to the brain, lungs, and reproductive system.

Best Practices for Lead Safety

Training and Awareness

• Hold regular training sessions about the risks of lead exposure and safety procedures.
• Make sure all staff know the signs of lead poisoning and the importance of reporting health
• Follow the ANSI/ASSE 1 guidelines for effective safety training.

 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Provide and require the use of appropriate PPE, as specified for each task performed on the shooting range, such as:

• • N95 respirators or better for indoor ranges, following OSHA regulations (29 CFR 1910.1025).
  • Gloves to avoid skin contact with
  • Eye protection to guard against lead
  • Special clothing and a N95 respirator, if possible, that can be removed after shooting.
  • If special clothing is unavailable, the best practice would be to launder the clothes before leaving the range or change into another set after training.

 Lead-Free Ammunition

• Use lead-free bullets whenever possible to lower the risk of lead exposure. This includes:
  • Alternatives like copper, polymer, or frangible
  • Promoting lead-free ammo during training

Handwashing Protocols

• Set mandatory handwashing rules:
  • After shooting or handling ammo, ensure personnel wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water.
  • Provide handwashing stations with soap, water, and disposable
  • Use special wipes to clean hands and surfaces before eating or

 Lead Wipes and Mats

• Keep lead wipes available at shooting stations and in your vehicle to quickly clean lead from skin and equipment every time you finish firing your weapon.
• Use lead mats in shooting areas to catch falling lead particles and prevent contamination.
• Clean and replace these mats

 Ventilation Systems

• Make sure indoor ranges have good ventilation systems to reduce airborne lead particles, following OSHA guidelines (29 CFR 1025).
• Regularly check and maintain these systems for optimal

 Regular Cleaning Protocols

• Follow a strict cleaning schedule to limit lead build-up:
  • Use wet cleaning methods (like damp mopping) to reduce
  • Avoid dry sweeping or vacuuming unless you use HEPA
  • Frequently clean shooting booths, targets, and surrounding

Laundering Clothing Concerns

• Provide guidelines for washing clothes worn during
• When possible, use specific clothing for shooting to prevent lead
• contamination of regular
• Change into a second set of clothes and launder clothing at the range if If you have to launder your clothes at home, wash shooting clothes separately from other laundry.
• Use hot water and strong detergent to remove lead
• If possible, consider contracting a laundry service that can launder hazardous materials.