Key Takeaways
- Modern engineered stone work exposes fabrication workers to incurable silicosis.
- Historic events like the 1911 Triangle Fire drove early US workplace safety laws.
- OSHA's effectiveness in regulating workplace safety has varied significantly since 1970.
- Balancing worker safety and economic interests remains a persistent challenge in the US economy.
Deep Dive
- Eric Reyes Barriga developed incurable silicosis after a decade working with engineered stone.
- Pulmonologist Dr. Jane Fazio observed an increase in silicosis cases among younger workers in this industry.
- Engineered stone contains high silica concentrations, posing significant inhalation risks during cutting and polishing.
- California has strengthened regulations, Massachusetts issued an alert, and Australia has banned these materials.
- The 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire killed 146 garment workers due to locked doors and unsafe conditions.
- This tragedy shifted public opinion, leading to over two dozen new New York State laws making employers responsible for workplace safety and fire codes.
- Frances Perkins, a witness to the fire, later made many of these New York reforms federal law as Secretary of Labor in the 1930s.
- The 1930s Hawk's Nest Tunnel disaster in West Virginia resulted in over 700 estimated deaths from silicosis among thousands of workers, primarily black migrants.
- Workers drilled the tunnel with inadequate protection, leading to widespread occupational disease.
- Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins ordered reports and produced the film 'Stop Silicosis' in 1935, raising national concern through congressional hearings.
- In 1970, the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA) was enacted by President Nixon to combat 12,500 annual workplace deaths and over 2 million injuries.
- OSHA and NIOSH were established to work with industries for economic benefit, aiming to reduce lost production and medical expenses.
- Many companies resisted OSHA, preferring voluntary systems and lobbying against federal regulations, such as a proposed silica standard.
- OSHA achieved significant successes in the 1970s, implementing regulations for toxic substances like asbestos and lead, contributing to a decline in workplace injuries and deaths.
- By 2009, former OSHA administrator Dr. David Michaels noted only 30 new or updated standards had been issued since 1971.
- Michaels implemented a new silica exposure standard, finding that prioritizing health and safety improved production efficiency.
- Former petrochemical executive James Gallaghri revitalized bankrupt Lionel Bassell by prioritizing safety alongside profits, leading to a 200% stock price increase.
- His approach involved plant audits and refusing to sell to unsafe downstream clients.
- Since Gallaghri's 2015 retirement, Lionel Bassell's safety record reportedly declined, including a fatal accident in 2021.