I think the moct critical issue is the exposure to lead that's why the shooting ranges are considered lead in air applications.
These are sum of the NIOSH recommendations, i hope they'll help
To reduce exposures to lead the following recommendations are offered:
1. The uniformity of downrange airflow should
be improved to decrease or eliminate the eddies
which currently cause backflow of weapons fire
contaminants into the breathing zones of range
users. NIOSH has successfully developed
engineering controls, based on a “double–open
pegboard” design which can dramatically improve
the uniformity of airflow within firing ranges
when implemented correctly.26
2. The firing range should be maintained under
negative pressure (air flows from surrounding
areas into the range) when the ventilation system
is running while at the same time maintaining
adequate volumetric flow to assure an average
downrange air velocity of 50 fpm at the firing
line. This will require a ventilation professional
skilled in pressure balancing ventilation systems.
The firing range ventilation system should be in
operation at all times while the range is in use and
during clean–up.
3. Written SOPs for preventive maintenance on
the ventilation system should be developed and
implemented to assure that filters are maintained
and changed as needed, adequate airflow within
the range is maintained, pressure gauges workHealth Hazard Evaluation Report No. 97–0255 Page 11
correctly, and filter breakthrough can be detected
if it occurs. Part of the initial effort should
include cleaning the interior surfaces of the
recirculation AHU where lead dust has
accumulated downstream of the filter banks.
Proper personal protection equipment should be
worn by cleanup personnel.
4. After each use, the floor of the firing range
should be thoroughly cleaned with a HEPA
vacuum cleaner designed to collect lead dust. Dry
sweeping should never be used in the range. The
vacuum cleaner should have a plastic bag liner. A
non–evaporating liquid, such as a light oil, should
be placed inside the liner to wet the gun powder
and therefore prevent combustion.
5. To minimize the accumulation of leaded dust
on outer garments, if shooting is done from a
prone position the floor should first be covered
with a disposable material.
6. To avoid dermal contact with lead on the
spent cartridges and the floor, cartridges should be
gathered using a floor squeegee (or with some
other implement that would not generate more
airborne lead dust) and picked up using a dust pan
or a HEPA vacuum cleaner (assuming that doing
so does not result in spark generation).
7. Surfaces inside the range should be cleaned
routinely with a high phosphate detergent, such as
trisodium phosphate, to reduce surface lead
contamination. There are also cleaning agents on
the market that are specifically designed for this
application.
8. Eating, drinking, and smoking inside the
range should be prohibited to eliminate possible
lead ingestion by hand–to–mouth contact.
9. Employees should be provided with two
lockers to allow them to separate street clothes
from lead–contaminated work clothes.
10. Eating, drinking, smoking, and hand contact
with other people, especially children, should be
avoided after working in the firing range, until
personnel have showered and changed clothes.
11. Personnel performing clean–up of lead at the
trap should wear appropriate respiratory
protection (for example, the appropriate NIOSH
approved respirator equipped with HEPA filters)
and full protective outer clothing (which may be
disposable). Personnel performing the clean–up
should be included in a respiratory protection
program. After clean–up, they should remove
their outer clothing inside the range area to
prevent spreading lead to other parts of the
building. Non–disposable outer protective
clothing should be laundered by the employer or
a contractor. It should not be laundered by the
employees at their homes.
12. Enough time should be allowed for the
ventilation system to remove airborne lead fume
and dust before personnel are allowed downrange.
The amount of time needed to adequately remove
the airborne lead fume and dust should be
determined after the ventilation system is adjusted
according to the recommendations in this report.
At that time, further air monitoring will be needed
to determine how the lead concentration in the
range decreases across various time intervals.
13. Non–lead or copper–jacketed bullets should
be used because they have been shown to reduce
lead emissions. Substituting copper–jacketed
slugs has been shown to provide significant
reduction in lead emission compared with
traditional lead ammunition in some situations.27
However, there will still be some lead generated
during shooting from the combustion of primer,
which contains lead styphnate and lead peroxide.
14. If engineering controls that lower exposures
are not effectively implemented, instructors,
regular range users, and maintenance personnel
may need to undergo periodic blood testing. The
OSHA lead standard (29 CFR 1910.1025) requires
biological monitoring of lead exposed workers
every six months for those exposed above the
