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If your job includes cutting stone or concrete and/or removing the hardened concrete from a mixing truck, you may be breathing crystalline silica, which can cause silicosis, an incurable lung disease. Crystalline silica is usually blown into the area during any sort of cutting, drilling or grinding of stone. When the microscopic dust is drawn into the lungs, it does not come out. Instead, it builds up over time, making it very hard to breathe, which can eventually result in respiratory failure and death.
In addition, recent research by the American Cancer Society has found that long term silica exposure can cause lung cancer, even among those who do not smoke. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed a new rule to limit workplace exposure to crystalline silica. On Friday, April 4, OSHA opened up a public forum to hear concerns about the new regulation. According to OSHA’s Assistant Secretary of Labor, “[t]his is an open process and the input we receive will help us ensure that a final rule adequately protects workers, is feasible for employers and is based on the best available evidence.”
Looking For A Workers Compensation Attorney In Columbus, Ohio
The consequences of contracting silicosis are devastating and long term. Those with the lung disease will find it difficult to work due to insufficient lung capacity and shortness of breath. Those that previously depended on the worker for stability may now become his or her caregiver. If you have contracted silicosis on the job, the attorneys of Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC can help. We have over 80 years of combined experience defending the rights of injured workers. We will handle the complicated legal proceedings involved in filing a workers compensation claim so that you can get your life back on track. For more information, contact us.
Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC—Columbus Workers Comp Attorneys
Source: https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=25740