Occupational Diseases: October 2006 Archives

Coal Mine Explosions More Likely in Winter

This has become the most deadly year in U.S. coal mining in a decade after one miner was killed and a second was seriously injured October 30. Thus far, 2006 has seen 43 deaths in coal mine related explosions. Federal statistics show that most coal mine explosions occur in the winter because cold, dry air makes it more difficult to control methane gas and coal dust, the main ingredients in most coal mine explosions. "I think there's no question that safety is priority No. 1 going into this winter," said Luke Popovich, a spokesman for the National Mining Association.

Coal industry faces dangerous time

The victim in the most recent accident was crushed between the shuttle and the mine's wall at Bluestone Coal's Double Bonus No. 65 Mine on Pinnacle Creek in West Virginia. The mine has been cited for 152 cite violations and two injuries that caused miners to miss time at work.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 05:05 PM | Permalink

BP Knew of Problems Before Deadly Fire

U.S. federal investigators say that BP executives were aware of problems with equipment before an explosion at the company's Texas City, Texas refinery in March 2005 killed 15 workers and injured 180 others. Carol Merritt, chairman of the Chemical Safety Board, said that "the CSB's investigation shows that BP's global management was aware of problems with maintenance, spending, and infrastructure well before March 2005. Unsafe and antiquated equipment designs were left in place, and unacceptable deficiencies in preventative maintenance were tolerated."

U.S.: BP knew of problems before deadly fire

The Texas City refinery fire was the worst workplace accident in the U.S. in more than a decade. This admission is the latest blow to BP's image; corrosion problems at BP's Prudhoe Bay oil field in Alaska caused the worst oil leak ever on the North Slope last winter and BP is also under investigation for manipulation of some energy markets.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 11:53 AM | Permalink

Black Lung on Rise in VA Miners

Black lung disease looks as though it poses a greater threat to coal miners in far southwest Virginia than in other areas; scientists are unsure why this looks to be the case. A recent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report shows that the number of black lung cases is rising in Lee and Wise counties and that the cases are more severe. "Something doesn't add up, because we're seeing lots more disease than would be expected at those levels of dust," said Vinicius Antao of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Antao was the lead researcher on the project.

CDC: Black Lung Disease on Rise in Va.

Black lung disease, officially termed "coal workers' pneumoconiosis," is caused by inhalation of coal dust. In 1969 a federal law was passed that set limits to the amounts of dust to which coal miners could be exposed; since then, the number of miners who developed the disease decreased. The recent report recommends that the increases in black lung cases demands a "comprehensive assessment of current dust-control measures."

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 09:22 PM | Permalink

City Firefighters Can Breathe More Easily

After a San Luis Obispo firefighter died of service-related pancreatic cancer, those who knew him decided to take action to help protect others from exposure to toxic carcinogens. The firefighters spent $178,000 in diesel exhaust recovery systems to help lessen the amounts of diesel exhaust pumped into firehouses. The recovery systems capture 100% of diesel exhaust that can fill fire stations. "It saturates in our clothing, the protective clothing we use all the time," firefighter Mike King said.

City firefighters can breathe a little easier

Unfortunately, the burning buildings which firefighters must work to extinguish remain a source of toxins that can result in health problems later on.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 08:10 PM | Permalink

Manufacturing Computers Bad for Health

Death rates are much higher in those workers who manufacture computers and component parts than in the general population, according to a report in the journal Environmental Health. Cancer death rates are higher as well as death rates overall. Observational data among computer manufacturing employees has lead to this conclusion for years, but this report is based off a large database of workers.

Job at PC plant may raise risk of cancer death

Cancers found in higher frequency in computer manufacturers seem to target specific organs: kidneys, lymphatic tissues, skin, and the nervous system all saw high rates of cancer. Richard W. Clapp, author of the study said that "when comparing four plants around the country, the findings were remarkably similar, in revealing excess cancers of the brain, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and kidney, primarily among manufacturing workers."

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 08:45 PM | Permalink

Smoking Ban=Healthier Bar Workers

A ban in public smoking has been associated with rapid improvements in respiratory function for bar workers. Exposure to second hand smoke has long been a major public health issue and the effects of secondhand smoke on individuals in the past has been difficult to measure. Higher rates of coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, and lung cancer all have been associated with second smoke in previous studies.

Smoking Ban Associated With Rapid Improvement In Health Of Bar Workers

Bar workers are exposed to high levels of second-hand smoke as a part of their occupation. In Scotland, where smoking recently was banned from the bars, bar workers were evaluated both before and after the smoking ban to determine the effects the ban had on their health. Researchers found, among other things, that 79.2% of the bar workers had respiratory or sensory symptoms prior to the introduction of the smoking ban , while one month later, only 53.2% of the workers experienced respiratory problems.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 05:42 PM | Permalink

Driving the Most Dangerous Part of Job

A recent report released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that driving is the most dangerous activity a worker can engage in while on the job. The driver's level of fatigue, age, time constraints, level of intoxication, and not wearing seat belts all are factors which influence the worker driving hazards.

Driving Considered Most Dangerous Part of the Job

A 2002 study from Loughborough University found a positive correlation between long hours spent behind the wheel and increased sick days because of lower back pain. Frequency of discomfort was noted to increase with the number of miles driven annually.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 12:49 PM | Permalink

OSHA Violations Share Recurring Theme

OSHA's recently released list of most common violations again lists scaffolds as the most violated standard. During fiscal year 2006, employers were cited for 9,012 violations of OSHA's scaffolding rules. Hazard communication was the second most violated standard.

OSHA's Top 10 Features a Familiar Cast

The complete list of most frequently cited OSHA violations is, in order: scaffolds, hazard communication, fall protection, respiratory protection, lockout-tagout, powered industrial trucks, electrical, machine guarding, ladders for construction, and electrical. While the figures used to compile this list are preliminary, the order of the top ten will most likely stay the same.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 12:07 AM | Permalink

Career Tied to Breast Cancer Rates?

A Canadian study published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences has found that a woman's career choice may affect her risk of developing breast cancer. Women with breast cancer are almost three times as likely to have worked on farms. The increased risk is believed to be tied to exposure to toxic chemicals used on the farms. Those who worked on farms and then went on to work in auto-manufacturing or in health care faced highest risk of developing breast cancer. "The evidence points to a possible link between increased breast cancer risk and certain occupational settings," study author James Brophy said.

Woman's work may impact breast cancer risk: study

Brophy and his team already have begun a broader study designed to implicate particular chemicals that may be responsible for the higher cancer rates.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 06:30 PM | Permalink

OSHA Fines CT Manufacturer $315K

OSHA has suggested that Wiremold Co. be fined $315,000 because OSHA investigators found more than 40 violations of safety and health standards at the company's plant in West Hartford, Connecticut. C. William Freeman III, OSHA;s area director said that "plant workers were exposed to electrocution hazards when they worked on live electrical parts without first de-energizing them and locking out their circuits. This employer knows from previous OSHA inspections the magnitude of risk posed to workers by these practices."

OSHA Fines CT Manufacturer More than $300K

OSHA also found reports of hearing loss in employees who were exposed to high noise levels were not reported on the plant's OSHA logs. Reporting hearing damage is required. OSHA issued two willful citations for this and proposed $140,000 in fines. $117,000 in fines also is being proposed for 15 repeat citations for hazards found previously that were not corrected. Wiremold Co. is a manufacturer of electrical products.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 06:42 PM | Permalink

Bayer Explosion Investigation Continues

State and federal regulatory agencies continue to investigate the explosion that sent 22 workers to the hospital in Baytown, Texas. The explosion happened in a process vessel in one of the Bayer industrial park's two toluene diisocyanate (TDI) units. TDI is a chemical intermediate used in making foams and coatings. The vast majority of those sent to the hospital only suffered from eye, nose, throat, and skin irritations and were released within a day.

Explosion at Bayer plant in Baytown injures 20

Cherie Laughlin, a Bayer spokesperson, said that a decontamination area was set up before the victims left the property and that the hospital had set up a decontamination tent before the victims arrived because "we train people to prepare for disasters like this so we brought in extra personnel to handle it." Bayer believes that vapors will spread so that few residents of the area of the plant will be affected. A heavy mist of water is being used to suppress the vapor further.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 12:20 PM | Permalink

OSHA Issues Hexavalent Chromium Guidelines

hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) requirements. Industries primarily affected by the changes are construction and shipyard businesses. Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., of OSHA, said the new information is "aimed at helping small businesses comply with the new standards, while helping them reduce the risk to employees potentially exposed to these compounds."

Legal View: Occupational Disease
Download the Safety Guide
Chromium Compounds

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 12:07 PM | Permalink

Asbestos Claims Rising

A Workplace Safety and Insurance Board official has said that asbestos related claims are on the rise and are expected to increase into the future. Fergus Kerr, director of the Occupational Disease and Survivor Benefit program says that mesothelioma claims have doubled in the last five years. “We allowed 90 claims last year for mesothelioma,” Kerr says. “It is our projection that it will continue to increase.”

Asbestos Claims Rising

Such a rise will prove costly; a typical claim for the disease averages about $500,000. Asbestosis is another asbestos related disease. Both diseases can be caused by mining, milling, manufacturing, assembling, construction, and repair related occupations. Kerr says that oftentimes claims are from the dependents of workers who died of asbestos-related diseases.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 08:16 PM | Permalink

OSHA Makes Case for Safety and Health

The "Making the Business Case for Safety and Health" and contains information about how a good safety program can help employers save money and improve business. "OSHA continues to seek ways to offer services and programs that assist and guide employers on the responsible path to occupational safety and health," said OSHA Administrator Ed Foulke.

The page contains resources showing the correlation between economic success and workplace safety and health. OSHA's website currently contains about 200 safety and health topics on various workplace issues.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 07:59 PM | Permalink

Health Concerns Raised about Quarry

Opponents of a proposed quarry in New Hanover, Pennsylvania are concerned that if the quarry opens, there will be serious health effects and structural damage to the town. During a meeting of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, all but one of 27 people who spoke about Gilbraltar Rock's proposed projected were opposed to the project. Tim McCoy, a Big Road resident of Obelisk, said of the quarry company: "the people who are coming in don’t have to breath the crap we will. They’ll make their money. They don’t care about tomorrow.’

Quarry opponents raise health concerns

Concerns were raised about the proposed rock crushing operation. The crushing would occur near a school and the rock dust produced could conceivably adversely affect children already suffering from asthma and induce it in those not. Additionally, trucks driving to the site could potentially hit and kill children as well as disturbing the tranquility of the area. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) maintains that the proposed operation would keep dust levels under safe levels but only observed concerns and did not speak at the meeting.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 07:28 PM | Permalink

Popcorn Production Kills

The controversy surrounding the dangers of the chemical diacetyl, used to make artificial butter popcorn flavoring, continues. "Popcorn lung" has been diagnosed in hundreds of people. Labor unions and politicians are asking that federal authorities to set a standard for working with the chemical. Linda Redman worked in a microwave popcorn packaging factory in Jasper, Missouri, and was one of three victims of "popcorn lung."

Popcorn Production Harms Workers

Ed Pennell, who also was diagnosed with the disease, describes it as "like having the flu, almost." He "had a nagging cough that got worse and worse" until he had to go to the hospital. Five to eleven times the expected cases of lung disease have been found at popcorn factories. While diacetyl also is found in beer, wine, and vinegar, when used in artificial flavorings, it is produced in much greater quantities. Researchers who exposed lab rats to similar diacetyl vapor levels as found in popcorn factories found that half the animals died in six hours.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 02:49 PM | Permalink

Buses to Receive Exhaust Filters

Buses in the San Fransisco area will have devices installed that will catch particulate matter. The devices will reduce the amount of pollution that buses release into the environment. The diesel exhaust filters capture 85% of harmful particulate matter and reduce 25% of the oxides of nitrogen, or NOx, created by the buses's engines. "We’ve got to deal with the realities of our emissions, with our fleet of buses, vehicles and other polluting efforts to turn the tide of global warming,” said San Fransisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

More area buses receive exhaust filters

The Bay Area's Clean Diesel Bus program is funded by transit districts, the Bay Area Quality Management District, and the MTC. Each filter installation costs about $18,000. The Coalition for Clean Air says that alternative fuel sources are better for the environment, but that pollution traps are a good, cheaper option.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 02:34 PM | Permalink

Silicosis Lawsuit Scandal

After seizing thousands of x-rays, some of which are now missing, the Texas attorney general's office is apologizing to U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack. Jack said last year that she believed a majority of more than 10,000 silicosis lawsuits were placed more for financial gain than for legitimate medical need. The Texas attorney general's office, seized x-rays from a storage facility without Jack's approval on July 5 and threatened to arrest the supervisor if he did not release them. Jack ordered the x-rays returned and said that their removal could be a criminal matter.

Abbott regrets silicosis actions

The Texas attorney general's office apologized to Jack in a letter dated September 5. The letter states that "not seeking prior leave of this Court was an error, and for that the Office of the Attorney General apologizes." The decision to seize the records was a joint decision between Jay Kimbrough and Don Clemmer.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 02:14 PM | Permalink

Deafness an Overlooked Occupational Hazard

The inappropriate use of personal sound exposure meters is leading to misleading noise assessments that may be putting workers' hearing at risk, says noise safety expert Ken Scannell. Hearing damage is one of the most serious health risks of the workplace. “Occupational deafness is the second most common workplace disease and accounted for almost one third of occupational diseases in NSW in 2004/05, costing over $38,000,000 in that state alone.”

Misinformed OHS exposing workers to deafness risk

A new Occupational Noise Management standard was released last year and it highlights the problems with using personal sound exposure meters (PSEM) to measure noise which could induce hearing damage. Scannell says the devices are faulty in the way in which they average noise levels. “I work with a lot of councils and their employees can go from quiet offices to standing next to a jack hammer,” he says. “If you simply took the results from a PSEM worn by a person who had 10 minutes’ exposure to the jack hammer and eight hours in a quiet office, you would assume noise levels were acceptable. Clearly, that’s far from the truth.”

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 10:35 AM | Permalink

TB Preventative Drug Given to 38,000 Miners

Extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) is becoming an increasing threat in the mining industry of South Africa. Miners are especially vulnerable to XDR-TB because of the commonness of HIV/AIDS and silicosis; both diseases weaken the immune system. Several cases of the deadly strain of TB were suspected in employees of two of South Africa's largest gold-mining companies, but these cases later were revealed to be highly drug resistant TB and not XDR-TB.

TB preventive drug to be administered to 38 000 miners

A recent outbreak of XDR-TB killed more than 60 people in Tugela Ferry, in Kwazulu-Natal. All who died were HIV-positive. Aurum Institute for Health Research CEO Professor Gavin Churchyard said that the new strain of TB is worrisome because it has such a high mortality rate and there is no successful treatment regime. “We need to identify individuals with XDR-TB as soon a possible and provide appropriate treatment. Individuals also need to be treated in custom-designed units for multidrug-resistant diseases," he says.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 10:15 AM | Permalink

Sick Welders Seek Justice

The welders who worked to connect the foundation of the new Bay Bridge to the rest of its structure worked in unsafe conditions which caused as many as 48 welders to become sick. KFM Joint Venture was given 17 violations by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health last June, but did not cite the contractor for ignoring the claims of the sick welders. Rosemary Bowler, a researcher of the effects of manganese at San Fransisco State University, was sought out by the welders. She said, "They had increased respiratory problems, and their working memory was impacted from the manganese."
Inside Bay Area

A 2004 Cal/OSHA investigation found that KFM knew about manganese overexposure on Bay Bridge but had done little to solve the problem. Welders worked in confined spaces up to 40 feet below the waterline, in 150 degree temperatures, while inhaling fumes measured above the legal limit for manganese. The case is expected to go to trial in 2007.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 01:16 PM | Permalink

School Bus Clean-up Proposed

State Representative James P. O'Rourke of Connecticut has proposed spending state dollars to upgrade school buses to reduce exhaust fumes, which have the potential to enter school buses and make children sick. O'Rourke wants to use $6.5 million in state surplus funds to upgrade roughly 6,000 older buses. "Diesel exhaust from buses actually enters the passenger compartment where our kids are, exposing them to unhealthy air," O'Rourke said. "The problem can be fixed for a relatively small amount of money per bus."

The Middletown Press

According to O'Rourke, diesel-fuel exhaust contains 40 known toxic substances that can contribute to or cause respiratory problems. Estimates have suggested up to 6,000 children in the state suffer from exhaust-related problems, such as asthma. O'Rourke stated that his proposal is not a criticism of the bus companies that service schools around the state, but of the way in which buses are built and that he feels it to be a civic duty to improve the buses so children no longer will get sick from diesel exhaust.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 08:29 PM | Permalink

Most WTC Responders Have Lung Problems

According to CNN.com, about 70% of recovery workers who responded to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center have suffered lung problems and high rates of lung abnormalities also affect the group. Doctors at Mount Sinai Medical Center conducted the study, which was released on Tuesday. "There should no longer be any doubt about the health effects of the World Trade Center. Our patients are sick," said Dr. Robin Herbert, co-director of the group which conducted the study.

The study is the largest to have been conducted looking at health issues linked to September 11 and will be published Thursday in Environmental Health Perspectives. The study found that lung problems are worst among those who were first responders at the site. Mayor Michael Bloomberg says there is not direct proof that exposure at ground zero caused the illnesses.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 09:22 PM | Permalink

Understanding Silicosis

Silicosis is a respiratory disease caused by the inhalation of silica dust, which leads to inflammation and scarring of lung tissue. It is an occupational disease associated with those working in proximity to silica dust. Such professions include mining, stone cutting, quarrying, road and building construction, work with abrasives, and sand blasting. Very high exposure to silica may result in a disease state in a year or less, but it generally takes 10-15 years of exposure for symptoms to develop.

Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia:Silicosis

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's new regulation which require the use of protective equipment when workers are in proximity to silica have helped reduce cases of silicosis. However, the disease still is of concern. Symptoms include a chronic cough, shortness of breath, fever, cough, weight loss, and severe difficulty breathing. There is no treatment for silicosis. People with silicosis are at heightened risk for developing tuberculosis. To help prevent silicosis, those involved in professions and hobbies that involve dust exposure should wear dust masks and not smoke.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 09:58 PM | Permalink

Coke Added to Benzene Suit

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Coca-Cola Co. was sued Friday over its new energy drink, Vault Zero. The plaintiffs allege that ingredients in the soft drink can form carcinogenic benzene. "I think that if they understand that consumers, and perhaps courts, expect them to eliminate this problem, they will," said Boston lawyer Andrew Rainer, who represents the plaintiffs. Coca-Cola has responded that the lawsuit is being brought about solely for monetary gain on the part of the lawyers.

Benzene can form in soft drinks containing vitamin C, and either sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate. Heat or light exposure can trigger a reaction that forms benzene in the beverages. After testing over 100 beverages this year, the Food and Drug Administration said five drinks shows benzene levels above the federal limit for water. Vault Zero was not among the drinks tested. Coke spokesman Ray Crockett responded to the suit that the FDA "has closely reviewed beverages for the presence of benzene in soft drinks in the past and each time has found no public health issue."

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 12:17 AM | Permalink

Updated Sleep Apnea Screening Recommended

Trucking Info reports that new recommendations have been released by a joint task force about how to screen for sleep apnea in commercial truck drivers. The suggestions include a more thorough screening and evaluation process, modified criteria for returning to work after treatment, and follow-up and re-certification procedures. “Sleepiness and inattention contribute to a significant number of CMV crashes each year and OSA has been shown to significantly increase a driver’s risk of driving drowsy. Yet, current CMV screening and treatment procedures for OSA are ambiguous and not reflective of the latest advancements in the diagnosis and management of OSA,” said Dr. Nancy Collop of the American College of Chest Physicians.

The review was based on an extensive review of the latest sleep apnea research and existing medical guides. Sleep apnea is defined as partial of complete obstruction of upper airway tissues during sleep. This results in sleep disruption, gas exchange abnormalities, and cardiovascular changes. Such problems often are of concern because these drivers are at a much higher risk of causing accidents while driving.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 08:06 PM | Permalink

October 31, 2006

Coal Mine Explosions More Likely in Winter

October 30, 2006

BP Knew of Problems Before Deadly Fire

October 25, 2006

Black Lung on Rise in VA Miners

October 24, 2006

City Firefighters Can Breathe More Easily

October 22, 2006

Manufacturing Computers Bad for Health

Smoking Ban=Healthier Bar Workers

October 21, 2006

Driving the Most Dangerous Part of Job

October 20, 2006

OSHA Violations Share Recurring Theme

October 19, 2006

Career Tied to Breast Cancer Rates?

October 18, 2006

OSHA Fines CT Manufacturer $315K

October 17, 2006

Bayer Explosion Investigation Continues

October 16, 2006

OSHA Issues Hexavalent Chromium Guidelines

October 15, 2006

Asbestos Claims Rising

October 14, 2006

OSHA Makes Case for Safety and Health

October 13, 2006

Health Concerns Raised about Quarry

October 12, 2006

Popcorn Production Kills

October 11, 2006

Buses to Receive Exhaust Filters

October 10, 2006

Silicosis Lawsuit Scandal

October 09, 2006

Deafness an Overlooked Occupational Hazard

October 08, 2006

TB Preventative Drug Given to 38,000 Miners

October 07, 2006

Sick Welders Seek Justice

October 06, 2006

School Bus Clean-up Proposed

October 05, 2006

Most WTC Responders Have Lung Problems

October 04, 2006

Understanding Silicosis

October 03, 2006

Coke Added to Benzene Suit

October 02, 2006

Updated Sleep Apnea Screening Recommended