Seattle Times: Wade's Eastside Guns Ex-Employees Sue, Sickened by Lead

The Seattle Times reports that eight former employees at Wade's Eastside Guns filed suit against their former employer Tuesday, saying that they suffered symptoms of lead poisoning.

Construction workers also told the Times that they were sickened by lead during a construction project at the indoor firing range and gun shop, which is located at 13570 Bel Red Rd.

The Times reports that the workers were exposed to the lead by working on and cleaning the firing range, and that customers could also have been exposed to lead dust and vapors caused at the firing range.

The workers say that tests showed elevated levels of lead in their blood, and that items in their homes and cars were contaminated with lead, which exposed their spouses and children. They also complained of symptoms associated with lead poisoning, such as cramps, stomachaches and headaches, according to the Times.

According to the National Institutes for Health website, lead poisoning symptoms include abdominal pain and cramping (usually the first sign of a high, toxic dose of lead poison), aggressive behavior, anemia, constipation, difficulty sleeping, headaches, irritability, low appetite and energy and reduced sensations. At high levels of lead exposure, symptoms include vomiting, staggering walk, muscle weakness, seizures, or coma, the NIH reports, and exposure to young children can cause a loss of previous developmental skills and other health and developmental complications.

The state Department of Ecology and Department of Labor and Public Health -- Seattle King County are also looking into the contamination and the way that materials were handled.

Wade's owner Wade Gaughan and the construction contractor told the Times that the workers' exposure levels were not at the level that would cause long-term health problems.

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Seattle Times: Gun range under fire over lead in blood of workers