M10.8 Blog about an occupationally-related disease
Pneumoconiosis (Black Lung)
Pneumoconiosis, or better known as black lung disease, is caused
by long-term exposure to coal dust. It is often developed amongst coal miners
and other occupations that deal with coal. It has been known to have the same effects
on a pair of lungs that a cigarette smoker has.The most common symptoms of
pneumoconiosis are constantly coughing and shortness of breath. In some serious
cases, patients will start to feel a tighten in their chest. It has been
reported that, “Studies conducted by the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and MSHA in 2005, 2006, 2007 of chest
x-ray surveillance by NIOSH indicated that the prevalence rate of CWP is
increasing in our Nation's coal miners. Even more disturbing is that advanced
and seriously debilitating cases of CWP are now seen in younger and younger
miners” (MSHA, 20011). Labor laws are starting to take action and all workers
should be in safer environments.
Source
https://arlweb.msha.gov/s&hinfo/blacklung/homepage2009.asp
Hi,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. I think what is also disturbing is that people that worked in these environments such as the coal minors and other occupations probably fall lower on the SES scale. This means that not only do they have to do this work that is manual labor, but they also now have health conditions. I just see this as an accumulation of disadvantage.