Occupational Diseases: January 2007 Archives

Cancer Drugs May Affect Reproductive Outcomes in Nurses

A recent study performed in the Netherlands suggests that oncology nurses with the highest level of skin exposure to cancer drugs have more difficulty becoming pregnant and also showed increased rates of preterm delivery and low birth weight.

Skin Exposure to Cancer Drugs may Affect Reproductive Outcomes in Nurses

A couple of anticancer drugs are known to have reproductive effects in patients. However, the effects of occupational exposure has not been investigated as much. Oncology nurses and other hospital workers may come into contact with these drugs during their work and some studies have found low levels of anti-cancer drugs in the urine of oncology nurses. Skin exposure is thought to be the major route of entry.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 08:53 PM | Permalink

Indium Damages LCD Plant Workers' Lungs

Japanese researchers have noticed that emphysema-like changes occurs in the lungs of workers exposed to indium, a material used in the production of liquid-crystal displays (LCDs) and plasma display panels. Dr. T. Chonan of Nikko Memorial Hospital in Hitachi says that "inhaled indium could be a potential cause of occupational lung disease."

Indium damages LCD plant workers' lungs

The manufacturing of liquid crystal panels has increased over the last ten years, meaning that more workers are being exposed to indium. Studies on animals have shown that indium compounds cause serious lung inflammation and cancer when inhaled and that there have been two cases of serious lung injury in workers at indium processing plants, one of which was fatal. The researchers recommend "careful follow-up" of indium-exposed workers and an effort to eliminate indium exposure.''

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 08:45 PM | Permalink

Libby Activist Dies of Asbestos-Related Disease

Les Skramstad, a worker at the W.R. Grace and Co. vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana more than four decades ago, has died from an asbestos-related disease. Last year, Skramstad said that all but four of his 150 coworkers were dead as a result of asbestos-caused diseases. Skramstad was an advocate for victims of asbestos-related diseases. About a month ago, he was diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Libby activist Skramstad dies of asbestos-related disease

Skramstad said that he believed his exposure to asbestos fibers also sickened his family. Fibers attach themselves to the clothing of asbestos workers; these fibers then can be brought home to expose family members. Vermiculite, used in a variety of house products, contains tremolite asbestos that can be released into the air. Senator Max Baucus spoke on the Senate floor in honor of Skramstad. “Les Skramstad was not only an outspoken advocate for his town, which was horribly wronged at the hands of W.R. Grace, but he was also my friend,” Baucus said. Baucus recounted his first encounter with Skramstad: Skramstad “pointed his finger and said to me, ‘I’ll be watching, senator.’ And he did,” Baucus said.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 01:53 PM | Permalink

Safety in Mines Crucial

2006 saw a regression in the progress in reducing mining accidents in South Africa. Incidents in which miners being injured and killed in mine-related accidents look to be on the increase based on the number of reported injuries. The Chamber of Mines recently said that a task team will be appointed to improve the safety of mines in South Africa. The chamber's goal is to reach international standards by 2013; however, a large amount of work must be done to reach this goal.

Safety in Mines Critical

Mines always have been a dangerous work environment. Unexpected seismic activity can cause rocks to fall and environmental factors can lead to occupational illnesses like silicosis and hearing loss. Studies by the Chamber of Mines report that in 2005 falls of the ground were responsible for 41% of mining fatalities, transportation and mining-related accidents made up 25%, and other reasons accounted for 34% of total fatalities. Mine safety responsibility should fall on management and regulators, as well as the industry, management, regulators, unions, and individual workers. Miners should be better protected against the occupational diseases that they face, such as silicosis and hearing loss.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 01:58 PM | Permalink

Firefighters Face Higher Cancer Rates

A study from the University of Cincinnati says that firefighters are at a greater risk of developing cancer than the general population, and also suggests that the protective equipment firefighters are using is not adequate in protecting firefighters against cancer-causing substances. This is the largest comprehensive study to date investigating cancer risk in firefighters.

Study: Firefighters Face Higher Cancer Rates

Firefighters are twice as likely to develop testicular cancer and have much higher rates of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and prostate cancer than those in other professions. This report also supported previous findings that firefighters are at a greater risk for multiple myeloma. Dr. Andrea Ruskin, a hematologist and oncologist at the Whittingham Cancer Center at Norwalk Hospital, said that the study results were not surprising. "They are exposed to so much," she said. Ruskin said firefighters' exposure to so many toxic chemicals means that "they can get DNA damage."

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 01:37 PM | Permalink

Workers Back on Job

Thirteen workers got back to work at the CHS Refinery in Laurel, one day after they had been evaluated at a hospital in Billings after an acid leak. No injuries were reported, though the spill caused Highway 212 to be closed. The hydrofluoric acid leak happened in an alkylation unit that makes high-octane gasoline. The unit was closed for repairs when the leak occurred. The spill leaked about 2 gallons and was confined to one unit.

Workers back on the job at refinery

Officials are investigating the cause of the leak thoroughly. Refinery manager Pat Kimmet said that
"We don't give those a timeline," Kimmet said. "We make sure they are done sufficiently." Exposure to high levels of hydrofluoric acid can prove fatal. At low levels, the chemical can irritate the eyes, the nose, and the respiratory tract.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 01:19 PM | Permalink

Coalition Fights for Tort Reform

Last year, a group of business interests called West Virginians for Fairness asked lawmakers to make changes in how asbestos and silica-based lawsuits can be followed. The group was met with limited success; it never got out of the committee in the House of Delegates, and the Senate put it back in committee before voting on it. However, the group plans to try again this year. Randy Cox is a lawyer and a spokesman for the group; he says he believes that attitudes have changed since last year.

Coalition Continues Fight for Tort Reform

In 2006, Dr. Ray Harron's questionable silicosis diagnoses made headlines across the country. "People are starting to realize there is fraud," Cox said. "We just want to get money to people who are truly sick."

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 01:01 PM | Permalink

Panel Criticizes BP Safety

An independent panel repeated that BP has poor safety oversight, deficient leadership, and short-term focus at its U.S. refineries. BP still is reeling from the implications of the 2005 explosion at its Texas City refinery. However, BP made no effort to say how they would make their U.S. refineries more safe.

Baker panel report criticizes BP safety

The panel was led by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III. Former U.S. Senator Slade Gorton of Washington, one of the panel members said of BP's lack of motion to correct the problem: "Culture is forever. To change hearts and minds and ... the attitudes individuals have toward their jobs is a difficult and a human task, and it's never complete." Baker noted that the review was not intended to place blame on BP for the refinery fire, but instead was intended to give BP specific and extensive recommendations to improve their safety oversight and culture.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 03:37 PM | Permalink

OSHA Gives Guidance on Abrasive Blasting in Shipyards

New guidelines from OSHA will give shipyard employers and employees advice on abrasive blasting hazards and how better to protect employees. The new information discusses silica and specific air contaminants to which workers might be exposed during abrasive blasting. OSHA also recommends identification of additional hazards, such as excessive noise, static electricity, confined spaces, heat exposure, and fall hazards.

OSHA Issues Guidance on Abrasive Blasting in Shipyards

"This new guidance focuses on silica alternatives since most shipyards have moved away from using silica as a blasting agent. However, alternative blasting materials may bring a different set of hazards, so we want shipyard employees and their employers to have the most up-to-date safety and health information possible," said OSHA Administrator Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. Though the guidelines are primarily designed for shipyard workers, OSHA feels that workers in similar environments might also be able to use the information.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 12:08 PM | Permalink

Workplace Deaths on the Rise in Canada

On average, five workers died each workday in Canada last year from accidents and occupational disease. This is an increase of 18% from 2004 and a 45% increase from 1993. Canada has one of the highest workplace fatality rates in the industrialized world.

Workplace deaths soar in Canada

The new report is 119 pages long and is called "Five Deaths a Day: Workplace Fatalities in Canada, 1993-2005" and was published by the Center for the Study of Living Standards. The CSLS study showed that fatalities caused by accidents and disease have increased over the time span looked at by the study and at a rate drastically higher than in any comparable country. The report shows a 25% increase in the number of accident-related deaths between 1996 and 2005, but the number of work-related fatalities because of disease increased by 174 % in the same time period. The most important factor in the increase in work-related deaths is “exposure to harmful substances or environments," particularly asbestos.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 01:46 PM | Permalink

Employers Hold Key to Employees' Health

Employers have the ability to help their employees find their health in the new year. According to the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc., worksite wellness programs have proved very successful in helping U.S. employees stay healthy while also benefiting employers' bottom lines.

Employers Can Hold The Key To Employees' Healthy New Year's Resolutions' Success

Obesity is a health condition affecting more than 60 million Americans. Roughly $13 billion is lost by U.S. businesses each year because of lost productivity because of obesity related healthcare costs. A study by the AAOHN in 2004 found that nearly half of all respondents who had participated in workplace weight-management programs reported achieving and maintaining their long-term goals. "These findings are significant, indicating the value of workplace weight-management programs and representing a call-to-action for more businesses to provide employees with the types of onsite wellness programs that address obesity, and for more employees to take advantage of these programs," said AAOHN President Susan A. Randolph.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 01:28 PM | Permalink

Scientist Says Lawsuits Hurt Research

A St. Louis researcher says that an Illinois law to protect medical research should be used as a model in all states. Dr. Brad Racette says that medical research can be hurt by demands placed on researchers by the parties in lawsuits. For example, research to link industrial environmental factors and neurological diseases can be affected by lawsuits against companies responsible when the parties involved in the lawsuits want the research data to support their cases.

Scientist claims lawsuits hinder research

"Participation in the legal system can be a huge burden on a researcher's schedule," Racette said. "It's not what I'm supposed to be doing, I'm supposed to be studying disease." Racette speaks from experience; his studies have linked an increased risk of Parkinson's disease with welding and subpoenas for his research data have slowed down his ability to research.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 10:52 PM | Permalink

Review of Silicosis Lawsuit Scandal

When U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack recommended that over 10,000 diagnoses of silicosis be thrown out as scientifically unreliable and legally suspect on June 30, 2005, silica-related lawsuits were forever changed. Currently, silica litigation looks to be decreasing; mass cases have been dismissed in several jurisdictions.

Exposing the 'Phantom Epidemic' in Silica Litigation

2002 saw the start of massive filings of silicosis-related lawsuit claims. For example, Mississippi had 40 silicosis cases in 2000 and 76 in 2001. However, in "2002, the number of new Mississippi silicosis claims skyrocketed to approximately 10,642. ... By way of comparison, in 2002, on average, more silicosis claims were filed per day in Mississippi courts than had been filed for the entire year only two years earlier." Judge Jack said she was worried about the large numbers of filings all at once because silicosis is not a disease that shows up after a brief incubation period following exposure to the dangerous material. Instead, silicosis is a disease that requires incubation periods of over 15 years. The claims also represented sites all of the state of Mississippi, not just a single exposure site. Jack also was concerned about the surprising increase in people diagnosed with both asbestosis and silicosis. Such "retread" claims are generally rare. Legislation is being worked on the prevent future silica "schemes."

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 05:22 PM | Permalink

Workplace Deaths Dropping

The workplaces of today are about 40,000 lives a year safer than they were in the 1930s, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC adds that this is "one of the greatest health achievements in the 20th century."

Workplace Deaths Falling Dramatically

The biggest factors in increased workplace safety are the expansion of safer service industries, tougher worker-safety standards, the reduction of mining jobs, an increase in the number of working women, and a decline in the number of small farms. The numbers of workplace related deaths are drastically improved from past years: 3,329 Americans died working in mines from 1911 to 1915 while only 159 miners died last year.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 08:32 PM | Permalink

Uganda Government to Replace Roofs

Lawmakers in Uganda have decided that all asbestos roofs of educational buildings need to be replaced. The action is intended to help prevent students and teachers from getting asbestos-induced cancer. Oyam North MP Okullo Epak initiated the discussion.

Uganda: Govt to Replace Asbestos Roofs

Line Minister said of the decision to remove the asbestos: "We are very concerned about this matter although we do not have statistics on who has been affected." Opio added that the government would begin the re-roofing process next year, but that it will take many years before all the changes are in place. The United Nations banned asbestos in the 1980s after it was confirmed that residual asbestos fibers cause lung cancer.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 11:56 AM | Permalink

Asbestos Exposure Claimed in Suit

James Anderson, a former mold-maker at the Owens-Illinois Glass plant in Alton has filed an asbestos lawsuit against 13 companies, alleging that his exposure to asbestos caused his lung cancer. Anderson says that he worked at Owens from 1954 to 1993 and he was diagnosed with lung cancer June 9, 2006. Anderson alleges that the defendants did not use standard procedure to ensure employee safety at their plants and in their products.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 11:40 AM | Permalink

Increase in PDA Related Injuries of Concern

Employment lawyers are cautioning companies that they could be held liable for employee's compensation claims related to injuries from personal digital assistants, (PDAs.) The American Physical Therapy Association and other similar groups warn that improper use and over use of PDAs can lead to hand throbbing, tendonitis and swelling. Swelling associated with PDA use has even been termed BlackBerry Thumb, after the popular PDA.

Growth of PDA injuries a concern for companies

"If you develop full-blown symptoms, it's pretty severe," says Alan Hedge, an ergonomics professor at Cornell University. "Employers can train people how to correctly hold and use the handheld device and encourage employees to write brief e-mails." Frank Morris, a lawyer in Washington, D.C. says that employers need to better develop policies on PDA use. Employers could face a liability risk if employees are expected to use a company-provided PDA after work hours; employees could argue for overtime.

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 12:05 PM | Permalink

Jet Lag Can Hurt Health

A study of mice published in Current Biology suggests that disruptions in circadian rhythm, such as those caused by jet lag or irregular shifts , can be deleterious to the health of workers. Mice subjected to irregular sleep-wake patterns died earlier than mice who were not. Researchers say the findings raise concerns about the health impacts irregular shifts, but that frequent-fliers and shift-workers should not panic.

Jetlag 'can damage your health'

The team of researchers, from the University of Virginia, looked at how old and young mice were affected by changes in the normal balance of day to night. For example, in one trial, the mice's clocks were "put forward by six hours, so they had less time in the dark. Younger mice appeared unaffected by the changes in schedule. However, older mice shower drastic increases in death rates when their nights were shortened. Dr. Gene Block, the team leader, said that "Whatever the precise mechanism, this raises important issues about the safety of counter-clockwise rotating shift work [where people's shift patterns are altered causing them to have less sleep] and the potential long-term health consequences for airline crews regularly crossing time zones."

Posted by Patricia Bowling at 11:35 AM | Permalink

January 31, 2007

Cancer Drugs May Affect Reproductive Outcomes in Nurses

January 30, 2007

Indium Damages LCD Plant Workers' Lungs

January 29, 2007

Libby Activist Dies of Asbestos-Related Disease

January 26, 2007

Safety in Mines Crucial

January 25, 2007

Firefighters Face Higher Cancer Rates

January 24, 2007

Workers Back on Job

January 23, 2007

Coalition Fights for Tort Reform

January 22, 2007

Panel Criticizes BP Safety

January 19, 2007

OSHA Gives Guidance on Abrasive Blasting in Shipyards

January 18, 2007

Workplace Deaths on the Rise in Canada

January 17, 2007

Employers Hold Key to Employees' Health

January 16, 2007

Scientist Says Lawsuits Hurt Research

January 15, 2007

Review of Silicosis Lawsuit Scandal

January 12, 2007

Workplace Deaths Dropping

January 11, 2007

Uganda Government to Replace Roofs

January 10, 2007

Asbestos Exposure Claimed in Suit

January 09, 2007

Increase in PDA Related Injuries of Concern

January 08, 2007

Jet Lag Can Hurt Health