Computers have now become indispensable in evaluating alternative ventilation system designs employed to protect workers from lead dust at industrial painting projects. As the capabilities of personal computers increased in speed and dynamic memory, off-the-shelf computational fluid dynamic simulation programs could be run. Thus, a desktop computer now can be used to evaluate the complex airflow patterns and lead dust concentrations resulting in a containment when lead paint is dry abrasively blasted off steel bridges, tanks, and other industrial structures. This paper reviews the basics of computer modeling of containment/ventilation systems for construction projects and examples of the results of such minimization studies at sites around the country over the past several years.
Keywords: computer modeling, ventilation design, lead paint, worker protection, OSHA compliance