Silica: A Long Overdue Proposal

The long awaited "Silica standard" for workers has been proposed by OSHA. This post is shared from Dr. David Michaels,  Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health.

Alan White is a 48-year-old foundry worker from Buffalo, N.Y. – he’s in the local steelworkers union, employed at the same foundry where his father also worked. He just became a grandfather. Three years ago, Alan went to a doctor who did a series of tests and told him that he had contracted silicosis, a debilitating lung disease he got from being exposed to silica at his job.

I met Alan last year on a trip he made to Washington to talk about how he got silicosis and the effects of the disease on his life. This is what he told me:

“I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I eat organic foods, I don’t eat much red meat. Now I know that my lifestyle probably won’t benefit my long-term health because of the devastating effects of silica exposure. As a new grandfather, I probably will not be able to run with my grandchild through the park as I had hoped.  Even simple tasks like walking and talking on a cell phone are difficult and my outlook is downhill from here.”

Earlier today, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed a new rule to protect workers from silica exposure, and we’re reaching out to stakeholders for their help to develop a final rule with effective solutions that will protect workers like Alan.

Healthy lungs vs. silicosis

Crystalline silica kills hundreds of American workers and sickens thousands more each year. These very small silica dust particles are hazardous when workers breathe them in. They can cause silicosis – an incurable and progressive disease. Workers can be exposed to airborne silica dust from cutting, sawing, drilling and crushing concrete, brick, block and other stone products. They also can be exposed during operations that use sand products such as glass manufacturing, sand blasting and −as in Alan’s case −foundry work.

The New OSHA Silica Standard - Not Strong Enough

Silica exposure was the catalyst that brought occupational diseases in the state workers’ compensation acts in the 1950’s. In an effort to shield employers from civil liability, silicosis was incorporated as a compensable condition under the capped damage system of state workers’ compensation programs. Silica exposures continue today, especially in counter-top workers, The new silica exposure standard announced by OSHA has still fallen short to protect workers from this deadly occupational exposure.

Health Hazard Alert: Hydraulic Fracking Workers Suffer Silica Expopsure

OSHA and NIOSH issue hazard alert on ensuring workers in hydraulic fracturing operations have appropriate protections from silica exposure

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health today issued a hazard alert on ensuring that employers in hydraulic fracturing operations take appropriate steps to protect workers from silica exposure. Today's action, which is taken after consultation with stakeholders, including industry, meets the Obama administration's focus on ensuring that this important resource continues to be developed safely and responsibly.

The hazard alert follows a cooperative study by NIOSH and industry partners that identified overexposure to silica as a health hazard to workers conducting hydraulic fracturing operations. 

As noted in the alert, respirable silica is a hazard common to many industries and industrial processes.  

Because large quantities of silica sand are used during hydraulic fracturing, NIOSH began a cooperative effort in January 2010 to collect data regarding silica exposure at hydraulic fracturing operations. NIOSH worked in cooperation with oil and gas industry partners to sample the air at 11 sites in five states where hydraulic fracturing operations were taking place. NIOSH identified seven primary sources of silica dust exposure during fracturing operations and found that workers downwind of sand mover and blender operations, especially during hot loading, had the highest silica exposures. 

Workers who breathe silica day after day are at greater risk of developing silicosis, a disease in which lung tissue reacts to trapped silica particles, causing inflammation and scarring, and reducing the lungs’ ability to take in oxygen. Silica also can cause lung cancer and has been linked to other diseases, such as tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and kidney and autoimmune disease.

Today’s action responds to the NIOSH findings. The alert states that employers must ensure that workers are properly protected from overexposure to silica. The alert describes how a combination of engineering controls, work practices, protective equipment and product substitution, where feasible, along with worker training, can protect workers who are exposed to silica. Engineering controls and work practices provide the best protection for workers. According to the alert, transporting, moving and refilling silica sand into and through sand movers, and along transfer belts and into blender hoppers, can release dust into the air containing up to 99 percent silica that workers breathe. 

“Hazardous exposures to silica can and must be prevented. It is important for employers and workers to understand the hazards associated with silica exposure in hydraulic fracturing operations and how to protect workers,” said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. “OSHA and NIOSH are committed to continuing to work with the industry and workers to find effective solutions to address these hazards.”

“Through partnerships, both businesses and safety professionals are able to collaborate on assessing and managing occupational safety and health risks,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. “The recommendations for protecting workers in the hazard alert are practical, evidence-based and effective solutions to help support the safe growth of American-made energy.”

“We applaud the efforts of the NIOSH NORA Council for Oil and Gas Extraction, OSHA and our partners from industry for helping to raise awareness of this hazard,” said Kenny Jordan, executive director of the Association of Energy Service Companies. “We are proud of the development of an industry focus group in cooperation with those agencies which will further explore this issue, share best practices and continue to build upon the many engineering controls currently in place and those under development over the last several years. The safety and health of our workforce is a top priority, and the industry strives to follow and improve best practices for safe operations and works closely with OSHA and NIOSH to help ensure a strong culture of safety. We look forward to sharing improvements not only within our industry, but with others as well.”

AFL-CIO Health and Safety Director Margaret Seminario stated, “The AFL-CIO strongly supports this hazard alert that provides important information to employers and workers involved in hydraulic fracturing operations regarding the serious health threat from silica exposures. It is critical that OSHA and NIOSH disseminate this information, so that immediate action can be taken to protect workers from silicosis and other silica-related diseases.”

The hazard alert can be viewed at http://www.osha.gov/dts/hazardalerts/hydraulic_frac_hazard_alert.html.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.


....
For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman1.973.696.7900 jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered work related accident and injuries.


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Occupational Exposure to Silica During Hydraulic Fracking

May 24, 2012

While focus has been on environmental concerns with the advent of fracking, a process to release oil and gas, a new concern has emerged over the potential occupational exposure to silica by workers who are involved in the...

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Workers' Compensation: Fracking: US EPA To Develop Natural Gas ...

Oct 22, 2011

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a schedule to develop standards for wastewater discharges produced by natural gas extraction from underground coalbed and shale formations.

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Fracking: The New Threat of Industrial Pollution in the Northeast

Oct 12, 2011

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UConn Health Center Study: Conn. Occupational Illnesses Above National Average

Occupational injuries remain compensable conditions. Most occupational conditions remain unreported and undiagnosed. Today's post was shared by WCBlog and comes from mansfield.patch.com

There were 7,265 unique cases of occupational illnesses reported to either the Workers’ Compensation Commission or the Department of Public Health in 2011 based on a study by the UConn Health Center prepared for the Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commission. This is in addition to cases of traumatic occupational injury reported by the Connecticut Labor Department in its annual survey. The overall 2011 rate of occupational illness in Connecticut is 27.8 illnesses per 10,000 workers, 35 percent higher than the national average, based on the standardized survey compiled by the Connecticut Labor Department. Both numbers of illnesses and rates of illnesses increased over 2010 for all three data sources for the report, although one of those sources was incomplete for the earlier year. Occupational Disease in Connecticut, prepared for the Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commission by occupational and environmental expert Tim Morse of the Health Center, reviewed information for the 2011 reporting year from three sources: the State Labor Department/Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) survey; the  Reports of First Injury to the Connecticut Workers Compensation Commission; and the  physicians reports to the Connecticut Department of Public Health under the Occupational Illnesses...

[Click here to see the rest of this post]

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Found on

Preventing Occupational Heart Fatalities

The US CDC has published a report on co-morbidity factors that precipitate fatal heart disease. This is yet another case why "wellness examinations" and prevention should be integrated into workers' compensation insurance coverage, especially in light of an aging workforce. 

Rates* of avoidable death from heart disease,
 stroke, and hypertensive disease,†
by county — United States, 2008–2010

Deaths attributed to lack of preventive health care or timely and effective medical care can be considered avoidable. In this report, avoidable causes of death are either preventable, as in preventing cardiovascular events by addressing risk factors, or treatable, as in treating conditions once they have occurred. Although various definitions for avoidable deaths exist, studies have consistently demonstrated high rates in the United States. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of U.S. deaths (approximately 800,000 per year) and many of them (e.g., heart disease, stroke, and hypertensive deaths among persons aged <75 years) are potentially avoidable.

National Vital Statistics System mortality data for the period 2001–2010 were analyzed. Avoidable deaths were defined as those resulting from an underlying cause of heart disease (ischemic or chronic rheumatic), stroke, or hypertensive disease in decedents aged <75 years. Rates and trends by age, sex, race/ethnicity, and place were calculated.

In 2010, an estimated 200,070 avoidable deaths from heart disease, stroke, and hypertensive disease occurred in the United States, 56% of which occurred among persons aged <65 years. The overall age-standardized death rate was 60.7 per 100,000. Rates were highest in the 65–74 years age group, among males, among non-Hispanic blacks, and in the South. During 2001–2010, the overall rate declined 29%, and rates of decline varied by age.

Nearly one fourth of all cardiovascular disease deaths are avoidable. These deaths disproportionately occurred among non-Hispanic blacks and residents of the South. Persons aged <65 years had lower rates than those aged 65–74 years but still accounted for a considerable share of avoidable deaths and demonstrated less improvement.

Click here to read more.

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Construction Injuries and Fatalities Cost California’s Economy $2.9 Billion Between 2008 and 2010

California Would Save Money by Using Its Buying Power to Reward Companies With Strong Safety Records

Occupational injuries and fatalities in the construction industry cost California residents $2.9 billion between 2008 and 2010, a new Public Citizen report shows.

The report, “The Price of Inaction: A Comprehensive Look at the Costs of Injuries and Fatalities in California’s Construction Industry,” quantifies the estimated costs of deaths and injuries in the state’s construction industry by considering an array of factors.

From 2008 to 2010, 168 construction workers were killed in workplace accidents in California. Additionally, the state recorded 50,700 construction-industry injuries and illnesses that required days away from work or a job transfer.

Drawing on a comprehensive 2004 journal article that analyzed the cost of occupational injuries, and combining the paper’s findings with updated fatality and injury data, Public Citizen determined that such incidents cost the state’s economy $2.9 billion during the three-year period.

“The economic picture is quite staggering,” said Keith Wrightson, worker safety and health advocate for Public Citizen’s Congress Watch division. “We now know that construction accidents impose huge economic costs in addition to tremendous pain for individual victims.”

As a partial solution, the report proposes that California pass a law requiring companies to demonstrate adherence to safety standards in order to be eligible to bid for state contracts. Such a solution not only would ensure that public-sector projects are fulfilled by responsible contractors but also would provide incentives for companies to maintain clean records while working on private-sector sites.

The report notes that California already screens construction companies to ensure that they have met performance standards in the past and haven’t violated any laws. The state also incorporates some safety standards in its prequalification system. But the system should be expanded to require construction firms to put greater emphasis on demonstrating that they provide safety training to workers and site supervisors, and that they have not had serious safety violations.

“Implementing a stricter prequalification process for public construction projects would not address all of the industry’s safety problems,” Wrightson said. “However, such a step would help further protect workers while also yielding significant gains to the economy for minimal costs.”

The report can be viewed at http://www.citizen.org/price-of-inaction-california-construction-safety-report.

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Physician Stress - An Occupational Hazard for Oncologists

Nov 26, 2012

Physician Stress - An Occupational Hazard for Oncologists. Physicians who treat terminally ill patients are reporting occupational stress. A recent article on the NY Times blog describes the problem of oncologists who treat ...

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Our Journey Forward on Occupational Medical Care

Nov 09, 2012

Going forward it is imperative that a universal medical program be established to provide medical treatment for all work-related occupational injuries and exposures. The delay and denial of medical benefits to those who suffer ...

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Breast cancer risk in relation to occupations with - Workers ...

Nov 23, 2012

This exploratory population-based case–control study contributes to one of the neglected areas: occupational risk factors for breast cancer. The identification of several important associations in this mixed industrial and ...

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Workers' Compensation: NIOSH Seeks Occupational History for ...

Jul 05, 2012

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requests public comments to inform its approach ...

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A Bailout for Workers’ Compensation

The issues facing the present economic downturn are not necessarily the same that existed  during the great depression and therefore the outcome may not be the same. The US workers' compensation system, a patchwork of State programs, is seriously being challenged during the present tough economic times. The past does identify a pattern that may require similar solutions. 

 It has been reported that the US government is contributing vast sums to bring the economy out of the ditch. "In the last year, the government has assumed about $7.8 trillion in direct and indirect financial obligations. That is equal to about half the size of the nation’s entire economy and far eclipses the $700 billion that Congress authorized for the Treasury’s financial rescue plan."

Workers’ compensation is not necessarily an anti-cyclical market. It is a political entrenched program. The present economic crisis will change the social and economic fabric of the country. "....the most troublesome unknowns are how the maze of protections for investors and consumers will change economic and political behavior in the future." The NY Times reported that levels of unemployment may reach 10%, a number used to define a depression.

During The Great Depression the US workers’ compensation system had an additional unique challenge confronting it. Silicosis claims were challenging Industry with uncertain economic outcomes. The insurance industry rushed to the rescue by advocating that silicosis and other occupational diseases be brought within the umbrella of the workers’ compensation system.

Activity soared within the workers’ compensation arena. The pace continued through the pre and post World War 2 years as the legacy of disease and death continued. Asbestos claims and other toxic tort claims continued the spiral. When workers’ compensation was unable to fully compensate the victims, the activity switched to the liability arena and claims proliferated and activity soared. Insurance exhaustion, corporate bankruptcy, an aging workforce, lack of manufacturing in the US and Federal Multi-District litigation. soon lead to a decline litigation activity.

Confronting the present workers’ compensation programs are the residual issues generated by  the expansion of occupational disease litigation program of the 1930’s. Cost shifting from workers’ compensation to other programs has resulted in workers’ compensation system becoming a collection agency and has resulted in bureaucratic stagnation. Occupational disease claims created major cost shifting of medical costs to other systems including: temporary disability benefits, major medical and Medicare and Medicaid, disability pension and Social Security.

 In the 1930’s the Federal government though the Department of Labor stepped in to save the system. David Rosner and Gerald Markowitz in their volume, Deadly Dust, point out that without national standards and a uniform approach, the 1930s' system system would not survived that moment in time.

The economic factors of The Great Depression now hover  over the present workers’ compensation system. The Federal Government now needs to intervene and bail out the State systems and rethink the medical delivery system that has generated tension in medical and reimbursement programs.

Workers Who Are Non-Smokers Suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease [COPD]

Approximately 25% of adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have never smoked, and workplace exposures likely contribute to much of their disease. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] that 24% of workers who suffer from COPD never smoked. Among these persons, 26%–53% of COPD can be attributed to workplace exposures, including dust, fumes, gases, vapors, and secondhand smoke exposure.

NIOSH Warns of Flavoring-Related Lung Disease

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is now providing information to healthcare providers to assist them to identify and treat flavoring-related lung disease. Workers who breathe flavoring chemicals containing diacetyl, such as butter flavoring, may be at risk of severe obstructive lung disease.



Who is at risk? 


Workers who make, use, or work near flavoring chemicals containing diacetyl or 2,3-pentanedione may be at risk. Settings where these exposures may occur include:

• Flavoring plants 
• Microwave popcorn plant
•   Commercial and retail bakeries
•   Snack food and candy plants
•   Dairy products and packaged vegetable oil plants (e.g., margarine, cooking oil)
•   Other flavored food production plants.Exposures in the flavoring industry and in microwave popcorn production have caused workers to have severe lung disease. The burden of hazardous exposures and risk to workers in other settings remains unclear. However, it is important to consider the possibility of flavoring-related lung disease in workers who have been exposed to diacetyl or similar flavoring chemicals and have respiratory symptoms

About Symptoms


Symptoms are not present in all cases. When present, symptoms can range in severity. The main respiratory symptoms experienced by workers include:

• Cough (usually without phlegm)
• Shortness of breath on exertion
• Wheezing

Other symptoms experienced by some workers include: 

• Fever, night sweats, or weight loss
• Frequent or persistent eye, nose, throat, or skin irritation

In cases of flavoring-related lung disease, respiratory symptoms do not typically improve when the worker goes home at the end of the workday, on weekends, or on vacations. The symptoms often have a gradual onset but can occur suddenly. Work-related exposure to butter flavoring chemicals  might also lead to asthma or exacerbate pre-existing asthma.

Related Topics

NIOSH to Propose New Criteria for Diacetyl Exposure

Aug 18, 2011

For public review and comment, the draft document summarizes current scientific knowledge about the occupational safety and health implications of the food flavorings diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione, and recommends ...

OSHA Issues Bulletin on the Hazards of ...

Dec 22, 2010

Diacetyl is a substance widely used in food and beverage flavorings. Diacetyl is used in a wide variety of food flavorings, although flavor manufacturers have begun to reduce or eliminate the amount of diacetyl in some kinds ...

California Becomes First State to Set Safety Guidelines for Flavoring
Dec 04, 2010
Cal/OSHA continues to be a national leader in worker safety by implementing a new standard today to protect employees who work with diacetyl, a chemical commonly used to give food flavorings a buttery taste. Cal/OSHA, a...

Legislation to Protect Food Flavoring ...
Sep 27, 2000The legislation would force the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue rules limiting workers' exposure to diacetyl, a chemical used in artificial food flavoring for microwave popcorn and other foods.

Candy Makers Found to Have Popcorn Lung - Flavoring Illness
Apr 07, 2009
It has been reported by, Andrew Schneider, investigative reporter, that severe cases of "popcorn lung" caused by exposure to diacetyl butter are now being reported in candy makers as well. Five cases of severe lung disease ...

$30.4 Million Verdict in Popcorn Flavoring ...

Sep 06, 2010

A jury in the Chicago area awarded a local factory worker $30.4 Million for a pulmonary illness resulting from exposure to popcorn flavoring, diacetyl. The verdict is considered to be largest ever in the US for an individual claim ...

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CDC has requested comments for the feasibility of a mesothelioma registry

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has announced the opening of a docket to obtain information on the feasibility of a registry designed to track mesothelioma cases in the United States, as well as recommendations on enrollment, data collection, confidentiality, and registry maintenance. The purpose of such a registry would be to collect information that could be used to develop and improve standards of care and to identify gaps in mesothelioma prevention and treatment.

NIOSH Issues "Roadmap" Document Suggesting Asbestos Research Strategy

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) announces the availability of “Current Intelligence Bulletin: Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles: State of the Science and Roadmap for Research.” The document contains NIOSH’s recommended framework for a national research strategy to address current scientific uncertainties about occupational exposure and toxicity issues relating to asbestos fibers and other elongate mineral particles.

The Current Intelligence Bulletin is available online at www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2011-159/.

It is well documented that asbestos fibers can cause lung cancer and other types of serious lung disease in workers when inhaled. Since the passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1970, considerable progress has been made in preventing harmful exposures and protecting workers from risks of illness. However, many scientific uncertainties remain as to the health risks associated with exposure to other elongate mineral particles, including those with mineralogical compositions identical or similar to the asbestos minerals and those that have already been documented to cause asbestos-like disease, as well as the physical and chemical characteristics that determine toxicity.

The new NIOSH document incorporates extensive public comment and scientific peer review, including review by an independent committee of the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council. The document does not set any new NIOSH policy regarding asbestos fibers and other elongate mineral particles.

“The NIOSH roadmap outlines a strategic framework for designing, conducting, and applying the research that will best serve the need to address persistent scientific uncertainties about occupational health and elongate mineral particles,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. “We look forward to working with our partners to advance this research, building on today’s state-of-the-art scientific tools and methodologies.”

Priority areas for research, as proposed by the roadmap, include:

• Developing a broader understanding of the factors that determine the toxicity of asbestos fibers and other elongate mineral particles.
• Developing information and knowledge on occupational exposures to asbestos fibers and other elongate mineral particles, and related health outcomes.
• Development of improved sampling and analytical methods for asbestos fibers and other elongate mineral particles.
• Applying research outcomes to improve public policy.

NIOSH is the federal agency that conducts research and makes recommendations for preventing work-related injury, illness, and death. NIOSH has a longstanding program of research and health surveillance to prevent asbestos-related disease, and its scientific findings and recommendations have contributed significantly to national policies for eliminating or minimizing harmful exposures. Further information is available at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/asbestos/.

For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered asbestos related disease.

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OSHA Moving to Finalize Crystalline Silica Exposure Standard

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is moving forward on implementing the standard for occupational exposure to silica. Silica has long been considered an occupational hazard. 


Silicosis was one of the enumerated occupational diseases that were universally included into workers' compensation statutes about 40 years after the enactment of the initial model acts were adopted, at the behest of Industry, to avoid civil liability actions. Occupational disease claims continue to be problematic for State compensation systems.


"Crystalline silica is a significant component of the earth's crust, and many workers in a wide range of industries are exposed to it, usually in the form of respirable quartz or, less frequently, cristobalite. Chronic silicosis is a uniquely occupational disease resulting from exposure of employees over long periods of time (10 years or more). Exposure to high levels of respirable crystalline silica causes acute or accelerated forms of silicosis that are ultimately fatal. The current OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) for general industry is based on a formula recommended by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) in 1971 (PEL=10mg/cubic meter/(% silica + 2), as respirable dust). The current PEL for construction and maritime (derived from ACGIH's 1962 Threshold Limit Value) is based on particle counting technology, which is considered obsolete. NIOSH and ACGIH recommend 50µg/m3 and 25µg/m3 exposure limits, respectively, for respirable crystalline silica. Both industry and worker groups have recognized that a comprehensive standard for crystalline silica is needed to provide for exposure monitoring, medical surveillance, and worker training. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has published a recommended standard for addressing the hazards of crystalline silica. The Building Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO has also developed a recommended comprehensive program standard. These standards include provisions for methods of compliance, exposure monitoring, training, and medical surveillance. "


It is anticipated that the Peer Review phase will be completed in January 2010 and that NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ) will be completed in July 2010.


The proposed Rules, 29 CFR 1915; 29 CFR 1917; 29 CFR 1918; 29 CFR 1926 (To search for a specific CFR, visit the Code of Federal Regulations.) 

Diacetyl Emerges Again As A Serious Threat to Worker Health

Emerging again in the workplace are serious and health threatening exposures to Diacetyl. The Journal Sentinel has reported:

"Most coffee roasters have never heard of the chemical compound diacetyl. Those who have, associate it solely with its devastating effects on microwave popcorn workers and those in the flavoring industry. They don't suspect that it could be wreaking the same havoc on their own lungs.

"We don't make flavored coffee, many in the roasting business say. It's not a problem for us.

"But air sampling by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel shows reason to worry.

"Tests at two midsized Wisconsin roasteries that agreed to let the news organization analyze the air in their production areas found diacetyl levels from unflavored roasted coffee that exceeded safety standards proposed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"In some areas, by nearly four times the concentration.

"Workers exposed to similar levels at popcorn plants suffered serious, incurable lung disease.
Click here to read the entire article "Coffee roasters' health at risk from chemical compound, air samples suggest--But most workers don't realize their lungs may be in danger from exposure to diacetyl"

Read more about Diacetyl and workers' compensation:
NIOSH to Propose New Criteria for Diacetyl Exposure
Aug 18, 2011
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) invites public comment on a draft document, "Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione.” For public ...

Workers' Compensation: Flavoring 2,3-pentanedione ...
Aug 20, 2012
2,3-pentanedione should be added to that list. "Flavorings-related lung disease is a potentially disabling disease of food industry workers associated with exposure to the α-diketone butter flavoring, diacetyl (2,3-butanedione).

Workers' Compensation: Legislation to Protect Food ...
Sep 27, 2007
The legislation would force the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue rules limiting workers' exposure to diacetyl, a chemical used in artificial food flavoring for microwave popcorn and other foods.

Flavoring Workers At Higher Risk for Alzheimers
Aug 04, 2012
It found evidence that the ingredient, diacetyl (DA), intensifies the damaging effects of an abnormal brain protein linked to Alzheimer's disease. The study appears in ACS' journal Chemical Research in Toxicology.

….

Jon L. Gelman of Wayne NJ is the author of NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson-Reuters) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson-Reuters). For over 4 decades the Law Offices of Jon L Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com  have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.