Silicosis: The Forgotten Cousin of Asbestosis and Mesothelioma

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Article Title:

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Silicosis: The Forgotten Cousin of Asbestosis and Mesothelioma

Article Description:

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Silicosis, Mesothelioma and Asbestosis are all three occupational

related diseases that are preventable.

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719 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line

Distribution Date and Time: 2006-11-07 10:13:00

Written By: Short

Copyright: 2006,

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Silicosis: The Forgotten Cousin of Asbestosis and Mesothelioma

Copyright © 2006 New Hampshire Concrete Cutting and Core Drilling, All Rights

Reserved

Written by: Short

New Hampshire Concrete Cutting and Core Drilling

http://www.affordableconcretecutting.net

Silicosis, Mesothelioma and Asbestosis are all three occupational

related diseases that are preventable.

Silicosis is a respiratory disease caused by the inhalation of

silica dust, which leads to inflammation and scarring of the lung

tissue. Similar to Mesothelioma and Asbestosis, Silicosis

silently caused millions of industry related health issues and

deaths before it was discovered and could be properly diagnosed.

The main cause of Silicosis is long-term exposure to silica.

Silica is a common, naturally occurring crystal. It is found in

most rock beds and forms dust during mining, quarrying,

tunneling, construction and work with many metal ores. Silica is

a main component of sand, so glass workers, sand-blasters and

construction laborers also receive heavy exposure to silica.

Risk factors for Silicosis include but are not limited to any

work that includes exposure to silica dust. Mining, stone and

concrete cutting, quarrying, road and building construction, work

with abrasives manufacturing, sand blasting and many other

occupations and hobbies involve exposure to silica.

Intense exposure to silica may result in symptoms of or full

blown Silicosis in a year or less, but it usually takes at least

10 or 15 years of exposure before most symptoms of Silicosis

develop. Silicosis as well as Mesothelioma and Asbestosis have

become less common since the Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (OSHA) instituted laws and regulations requiring

the use of protective equipment, to be provided by employers,

that limit the amount of a worker's hazardous material exposure.

Now, in most cases, it is legally and lawfully the responsibility

of your employer to protect you by providing personal protection

equipment (PPE).

The three different types of Silicosis are:

* Acute Silicosis -- results from short-term exposure to very

large amounts of silica. The lungs become very inflamed and may

fill with fluid, causing severe shortness of breath and low blood

oxygen levels.

* Accelerated Silicosis -- occurs after exposure to larger

amounts of silica over a shorter period of time (5 - 15 years).

Inflammation, scarring, and symptoms progress faster in

accelerated silicosis than in simple silicosis.

* Simple chronic silicosis -- results from long-term exposure

(more than 20 years) to low amounts of silica dust. Nodules of

chronic inflammation and scarring provoked by the silica dust

form in the lungs and chest lymph nodes. This disease may feature

breathlessness and may resemble chronic obstructive pulmonary

disease (COPD).

If you feel that you are in an industry with a high risk of

exposure to silica dust, or any other hazardous material, you

should take it upon yourself to use every method necessary to

protect yourself from exposure. It is important to discuss any

health concerns that you may have with your employer and have

your employer provide you with the personal protective equipment

required by law to minimize your exposure to hazardous materials

such as silica. It is legally your employer's responsibility to

provide you with safety devices that will protect you but it is

ultimately your responsibility to protect your health and the

health of your family.

If your employer is lax or refuses to provide for your safety, it

is important that you contact your local, state or federal agency

that oversees health and safety law and compliance to report it

right away. In most situations you can report any negligence

anonymously to prevent being singled out and demoted or fired by

your employer. Many times your employer will be forced to comply

with the laws by the governing agency and your problems will be

solved. As an employer myself, I see the need to protect my

employees at any cost because they are not only my most valued

assets they are people with families and simply deserve to live

and work in the safest environment possible. If your employer

does not feel this way, you should not feel one bit of remorse if

you have to report abuse to the proper authorities.

If you feel that you have been negligently exposed to Silica, or

any other hazardous material and are now experiencing health

related issues from it, you should contact a competent lawyer or

law office immediately and discuss your situation with them. You

may be entitled to compensation due to your employer's

negligence. There are lawyers and attorneys that specialize in

Silicosis, Mesothelioma, Asbestosis and a vast array of other

occupational health related diseases.

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© 2006 New Hampshire Concrete Cutting,

Written by: Short

New Hampshire Concrete Cutting and Core Drilling provides

concrete cutting and core drilling services to the contractor

and homeowner in New Hampshire or NH. Visit our website at

http://www.affordableconcretecutting.net for more information

on concrete cutting and core drilling.