Just realized the old safety data on silica dust was way off

I was reading a report from the foundry safety group in Pittsburgh and found out the real risk from silica dust starts at levels half of what we were told for years. They said even a small amount, like 25 micrograms per cubic meter over a full shift, can cause real lung damage over time. I always thought we were safe if we kept it under the old limit of 50. This came from a study they did tracking workers for ten years. Now I'm double checking all our dust control and respirator fits. Has anyone else seen this new info and changed their shop rules?

4 comments

4 Comments

hernandez.gavin17d ago

Honestly, that Pittsburgh report sounds like fear mongering. New studies come out all the time trying to scare people with lower numbers. The old limit worked fine for decades and kept everyone healthy. Changing all the shop rules now is just going to cost a ton of money for no real gain. Don't you think this is just overreacting to a single study?

garcia.wren17d ago

Wait, did you just say the old limit kept everyone healthy? That's not even close to true.

kevin_williams10d ago

Seriously? The old limit was way too high. My cousin in Cleveland had bad asthma attacks on days the air was "safe" under those old rules. @garcia.wren is right, it wasn't protecting everyone. The new studies show real heart and lung damage happens below the old standard.

johnson.eva17d ago

Remember seeing a chart showing how many places still had bad air even under the old rules. It wasn't protecting everyone like some claim. Sticking with it just ignores the real problem.

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