Coal miners getting new protections from silica dust linked to black lung disease
The Labor Department issued a new rule Tuesday intended to protect coal miners from poisonous silica dust that has contributed to the premature deaths of thousands of mine workers from a respiratory ailment commonly known as “black lung” disease
WASHINGTON (AP) — Coal miners will be better protected from poisonous silica dust that has contributed to the premature deaths of thousands of mine workers from a respiratory ailment commonly known as “black lung” disease, the Labor Department said Tuesday as it issued a new federal rule on miners' safety.
The final rule, announced by Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, cuts in half the permissible exposure limit for crystalline silica for an 8-hour shift.
“It is unconscionable that our nation’s miners have worked without adequate protection from silica dust despite it being a known health hazard for decades,” Su said Tuesday. “Today, we’re making it clear that no job should be a death sentence, and every worker has the right to come home healthy and safe at the end of the day.''
