Respiratory Conditions

Washington — Should the stone slab industry be protected from “abusive litigation” or should it substitute engineered stone with a product that creates less silica dust?

Lansing, MI — Workers who pick, grind and package cannabis are developing job-related asthma, researchers are warning.

Arlington, VA — Miners exposed to lead dust or fumes at work need to be wearing an air-purifying respirator with high-efficiency filters, the Mine Safety and Health Administration says in a recent health alert.

Washington — A group of House Democrats is requesting more information about the Trump administration’s decision to cut staff at NIOSH and other moves that they claim “disregard the well-being of the people who sustain the nation’s energy infrastructure.”

Toronto — After conducting a silica and dust exposure assessment for six work tasks in the concrete floor trade, the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association has published a summary of its findings.

Washington — Enforcement of a Mine Safety and Health Administration final rule on miner exposure to respirable crystalline silica has been delayed to Oct. 17 after the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a temporary stay of the rule.

Washington — Seven House Republicans want the Mine Safety and Health Administration to align its final rule on miner exposure to respirable crystalline silica with existing OSHA protections, citing “undue and excessive” industry burdens.

Washington — NIOSH has scheduled a series of free, confidential health screenings as it aims to identify cases of black lung disease in current and former miners.

Arlington, VA — The Mine Safety and Health Administration is reminding miners to keep at least 6 inches of separation between their powered air-purifying respirator and proximity detection system.

Bootle, England — Monitoring workers for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the subject of a new fact sheet from Britain’s Health and Safety Executive.