OHSA’s Hazard Alert discusses the health hazards associated with hydraulic fracturing and focuses on worker exposures to silica in the air. It covers the health effects of breathing silica, recommends ways to protect workers, and describes how OSHA and NIOSH can help. Workers and employers need to be aware of the hazard that silica dust poses.
For the past 40 years, NIOSH has conducted surveys and monitored trends in the prevalence of coal miners' pneumoconiosis (also known as black lung disease), including progressive massive fibrosis
Hydraulic fracturing has been used for hydrocarbon recovery for decades, but has become widespread in North America due to a modern process known as horizontal slick water fracking
Combustible dust has not been in the headlines as much recently, but there is still activity going on behind the scenes and accidents occurring on a regular basis.