Prakash Sharma – August 24, 2013
It has been said that exposure to silica dust can cause crippling lung 
disease and cancer. While keeping this factor in mind, it has been found that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have announced that workplace exposure to silica dust should be limited.
It is being said that when the regulation comes into action then exposure to silica dust would get reduced by half for those working in general industry and maritime workers. For those, who have been working in construction industry will witness a slash of 80%.
OSHA officials have predicted that the new limit will prove quite beneficial. It is expected that the new limit will be able to save approximately 700 lives every year. Not only this, the new ruling will also prevent 1,600 cases of silicosis on yearly basis.
It has been found that the workplace safety groups were asking OSHA to bring changes in the current exposure limits for a long time. But it is now that the authorities concerned are going to make changes.
It is also being said that the new ruling is going to face opposition from industry people. “I don’t want this to become all about employers not wanting to spend money on safety, but there will clearly be a cost impact here”, said Marc Freedman, Executive Director labor law policy at the U. S. Chamber of Commerce.
via OSHA to Limit Workplace Exposure to Silica Dust | TopNews United States.