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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219-8151
More than 500 industry, labor, government, and health
representatives assembled today to open a two-day conference in Washington,
D.C., to share practical solutions for preventing silicosis -- a disabling and
sometimes fatal work-related lung disease caused by overexposure to silica
dust.
More than 1 million workers are employed in jobs where they
are exposed to silica exposure, with 100,000 of them at high risk of developing
the disease. More than 250 workers die with silicosis annually.
The conference, which features presentations and
discussions on approaches that are being used effectively at job sites around
the United States, is sponsored by the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) in
the U.S. Department of Labor, the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health (NIOSH) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the
American Lung Association.
"When you consider that silicosis was identified 2,000
years ago, our mission truly becomes more than just a public policy
initiative...or a workplace issue that needs to be addressed," said Acting
Secretary of Labor Cynthia A. Metzler, the keynote speaker today. "Solving this
problem is nothing short of a moral imperative."
NIOSH Director Linda Rosenstock, M.D., M.P.H., said, "This
national conference represents a significant step in the long effort to
eradicate silicosis. It provides a critical link between those who have already
made notable inroads against silicosis in their workplaces, and others who can
learn from those accomplishments to score similar successes in other mines,
construction sites, and foundries."
During the conference, speakers from business and labor
organizations, companies, agencies, and occupational health programs will
address key practices for effective worker protection, including practical
engineering controls used in a wide range of workplaces. Speakers will also
address selection and use of appropriate respiratory protection; educating
employers and workers to recognize and address potential silicosis risks; and
using medical monitoring to identify employees at potential risk in time to
prevent serious health effects.
Speakers also will discuss current programs that have had
proven success in protecting workers in construction, mining, and other
industries, and the key elements that make those programs work.
"OSHA is fully committed to this battle to end silicosis,"
said Gregory R. Watchman, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety
and health. "Our national special emphasis program on silicosis includes both
outreach activities to encourage voluntary efforts as well as enforcement of
OSHA standards. OSHA has already conducted more than 300 silicosis
inspections."
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is working
to educate the entire mining community on the silicosis hazard, on mine
operators' responsibilities, and on best practices to prevent the lung disease,
said Davitt McAteer, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health.
"This conference creates a tremendous opportunity to share information on
silicosis prevention from industry to industry," McAteer said. "Silicosis has
been recognized as a mining hazard for hundreds of years. The mining industry
has answers to offer others, as well as opportunities to gain from other
industries' experience."
The conference features 20 problem-solving workshops on
preventing silicosis in specific industries and job operations, plenary
sessions with senior government, corporate and labor officials, and
opportunities to meet with safety and health professionals who have implemented
successful prevention strategies.
"Workers and employers who are concerned about exposure to
silica dust can take preventive measures to reduce the risk of developing lung
disease," said Thomas F. Gibson, president of the American Lung Association.
"These measures range from the simple act of quitting smoking to incorporating
inexpensive technology to control silica dust exposure."
Occupations at high risk of silica dust exposure include
construction workers who sandblast or cut, grind or break concrete, miners,
foundry workers, workers who lay and maintain railroad track and workers who
manufacture glass, ceramics, abrasives or soaps.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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