Silicosis - Articles

How to protect yourself from silicosis on a jobsite

Over two million construction workers are at risk around concrete

February 8, 2024

More than two million workers in the construction industry have been exposed to silica in the workplace. Short of a complete double lung transplant, silicosis is both a chronic and incurable condition.

Occupational exposure to silica high from the manufacture and installation of quartz countertops

Scott Drouin, Ph.D.

November 6, 2020

Cases of silicosis have recently been associated with the manufacture of artificial stone products, and a discussion of the industry practices leading to these occupational injuries is provided here.

Weekly news round-up

February 1, 2020

Employers grapple with the coronavirus, flight attendants cheer a proposed comfort animals on planes rule and indoor air quality affects construction workers, too. These were among the top occupational safety and health, environmental health and safety and regulatory stories featured on ISHN.com this week.

AIHA to hold Congressional briefing on silica rule

Follow the briefing live on Twitter at #SilicaBriefing

February 9, 2017

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA®) will hold a congressional briefing on Capitol Hill Feb. 15 that will focus on OSHA’s silica rule. The event, which will be held from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. ET in room 1540-A in the Longworth House Office Building, will also serve as a case study of the importance of worker health and safety.

A NIOSH Science Blog post

Occupational Health Issues in the USA

Dr. John Howard

January 13, 2017

Happy New Year. As we start afresh in 2017 I wanted to share my recent editorial in the British journal, Occupational Medicine, “Occupational health issues in the USA”. The article highlights some of the occupational safety and health issues identified as needing attention by the industry sector groups of the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA).

Congress takes aim at OSHA’s silica standard

Maureen Paraventi

April 20, 2016

OSHA’s final rule on Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline may not be so final after all. During a hearing yesterday by the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections entitled, “Reviewing Recent Changes to OSHA’s Silica Standards,” its chairman, Republican Congressman Tim Wahlberg (MI-07), hinted that Congress may attempt a legislative end run around the regulation.

U.S. Department of Labor blog

Early Detection Saves Lives: How to #StopSilicosis

Dr. Robert Harrison MD, MPH

April 4, 2016

When I learned about the dangers of silica dust in medical school in the 1970s, at the beginning of my career in occupational medicine, I thought silica dust was only of historical interest, or a hazard for just a few especially vulnerable workers with unscrupulous employers.

Reactions to final silica rule are strong, mixed

Maureen Paraventi

March 29, 2016

Reactions to the final silica rule issued last week by OSHA have been sharply – and predictably – divided. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said that millions of workers “can literally breathe easier knowing that they will not have to sacrifice their lungs and their lives by working in deadly silica dust. The new OSHA silica rules—nearly 20 years in the making—will save hundreds of workers’ lives a year.”

U.S. DOL Blog post

“It Took About 5 Years to Kill Him, and We Got to Watch”

Thomas Perez

March 25, 2016

When he was a kid, Tom Ward thought his dad was Superman, especially because he worked with his hands. When I sat down with Tom a few weeks ago, he talked about how heroic and invincible his father seemed, about his athleticism and his work ethic. But years of working as a sandblaster had taken their toll. They turned out to be this Superman’s kryptonite.

OSHA announces final rule on respirable silica dust exposure

March 24, 2016

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced a final rule to improve protections for workers exposed to respirable silica dust. The rule will curb lung cancer, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and kidney disease in America's workers by limiting their exposure to respirable crystalline silica.