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Silicosis deaths down sharply in U.S. - CDC
By Paul Simao
ATLANTA, April 28 (Reuters) - Deaths from silicosis, an incurable lung disease once common among miners, stonecutters and other industrial workers, have fallen 93 percent in the United States since 1968, bolstering hopes it may disappear.
The sharp drop in mortality occurred in part because of federal laws enacted in the 1970s that imposed limits on workers' exposure to silica dust, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report on Thursday.
A shift in the U.S. economy away from mining and heavy industry also helped to reduce the death toll, the Atlanta-based federal agency said.
Silicosis, which is marked by shortness of breath and persistent cough and linked to a higher risk of cancer, was the underlying or contributing cause of 148 deaths in 2002, compared to 1,157 deaths in 1968.
Although the CDC said "considerable progress" had been made in ridding the nation of the lung scourge, it noted that thousands of Americans continued to be over-exposed to the mineral dust in the workplace.
Silica sand is used to make glass and is a common ingredient in many industrial products. Repeated inhalation of its dust can scar the lungs.
Those who are exposed can die within months or decades later.
"Silicosis deaths and new cases are still occurring, even in young workers in the United States," the CDC said. Workers employed in masonry, heavy construction and iron and steel foundries are among those most at risk, the agency added.
The CDC report came amid a battle in Congress over legislation that would create a $140-billion fund to compensate some victims of asbestos exposure. The heat-resistant mineral was once commonly used in building materials and auto parts.
Deaths from asbestosis, a respiratory illness sometimes grouped with silicosis and black lung, are expected to keep rising in the next decade as more workers succumb to illnesses from exposure often dating back decades.
Silicosis victim, union make asbestos comparison
June 20, 2005 - The victim of a fatal lung disease linked to sand blasting says illnesses associated with the activity are potentially on the same scale as those caused by asbestos.
The Democrats are joining Liberal Senator Garry Humphries in calling for a Senate inquiry into the incidence of silicosis.
Silicosis is a respiratory disease caused by inhalation of silica dust which leads to scarring of the lung tissue.
The disease has been linked to industrial workers who inhaled sand dust in the 1960s and 1970s.
Sand blasting was conducted without protection by workers in the construction, mining, ceramic and brick-making industries.
Richard White founded the Sand Blasting Disease Coalition last year and hopes a Senate inquiry will help those seeking compensation and raise awareness of the condition.
"The medical aspect of looking after their bills, a bit of financial help, then the ongoing awareness of this occupational work and safety, world's best practice should be here," he said.
"It's not good enough just to say it, it has to be here and implemented.
"It's quite inhibiting - I've found over the years I couldn't play with the children of course because I just didn't have enough energy or capacity to kick footballs or run around with them."
The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union says exposure to silica dust is a potentially deadly time bomb for workers involved in excavation, tunnelling and stonemasonry.
The union's New South Wales secretary, Andrew Ferguson, says silicosis could be similar to mesothelioma, the deadly disease caused by exposure to asbestos.
"We've had workers that have died of respiratory problems that probably weren't correctly diagnosed as being due to exposure to silica dust," he said.
Grants Target Safety and Health Outreach in Developing Countries -
08/03/2006 - OEHS organizations in Venezuela, China, the Republic of Benin and Serbia and Montenegro are the recipients of the 2005 Worldwide Outreach Program grants from the Foundation for Occupational Health and Safety (FOHS), a Cincinnati-based nonprofit organization that supports OEHS endeavors throughout the world.
The grant recipients are:
The Laboratory of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Abomey-Calavi (Republic of Benin) – The University of Abomey-Calavi, along with the Lausanne Institute for Occupational Health Sciences, provides an occupational and environmental health training module to physicians in West Africa. Grant funds will be used to purchase occupational hygiene and toxicology textbooks and CD-ROMs in support of the development of a documentation center.
The Occupational Hygiene Department, Institute of Occupational and Radiological Health (Serbia and Montenegro) – The Institute of Occupational and Radiological Health in Serbia and Montenegro provides educational training for OEHS professionals and investigates and applies new methods of prevention, diagnostics, therapy and rehabilitation in the field of occupational and work-related diseases.
Grant funds will be used to procure training materials related to course topics. Funds will help develop a reference library and assist in the education of labor inspectors and occupational hygiene students.
Occupational Health and Hygiene of Labor Environment Department, Institute of Higher Learning In Public Health (Venezuela) – The Institute of Higher Learning In Public Health seeks to develop an experience and exchange program between ergonomics consultants and workers of Venezuela to promote preventative and corrective ergonomics. Grant funds will be utilized to purchase ergonomic measurement instruments, educational materials, computer software and related texts.
Research Department, China Labor Bulletin (Hong Kong) – The China Labor Bulletin, a Hong Kong-based labor rights organization, plans to publish and distribute within China a 65-page report on the occupational safety and health situation in China, together with a 25-page report on the ongoing silicosis epidemic among jewelry workers, to various government and nongovernmental organizations and libraries. Grant funds will be used to offset the costs to produce and publish the reports.
Qualifying educational, professional and nongovernmental organizations and/or collaborating centers may apply for consideration to receive a Worldwide Outreach Program grant ranging between $1,000 and $2,000. Applications now are being accepted for the 2006 Worldwide Outreach Program Grant. Those seeking to further the goals of the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centers for Occupational Health's 2006-2010 Work Plan are encouraged to apply.
Members of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists International Committee serve as a review panel for applications to receive grant funds. Grants are awarded annually to selected recipients.
Visit the FOHS Web site for grant proposal guidelines, a list of past recipients and other information
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