Have you been exposed to crystalline silica dust?

It is estimated that over 3 million workers in the United States are exposed to silica dust.  OSHA says silicosis is 100% preventable with properly working protective equipment.  The problem is, those who work in high risk areas for silicosis don’t always have access to the respirators, gas masks, other equipment or simple safety practices that would prevent silica from entering the lungs.

When employers sacrifice safety for profit, workers pay the price – with their lives.

Silicosis is a frightening and fatal disease caused by breathing dust containing extremely fine particles of crystalline silica, found in materials used on every job site - concrete, masonry and rock. When these materials are made into a fine dust and suspended in the air, breathing in the fine particles produces lung damage.  This dust is dangerous – it can cause fibrosis or scar tissue formations in the lungs that reduce the lung's ability to extract oxygen from the air.   Silicosis leads to heart failure as the heart struggles to compensate for the inability of the lungs to bring in oxygen.  It also increases the risk of other diseases such as TB (tuberculosis), auto-immune diseases and lung cancer among smokers and non-smokers.

If you are involved in any of these jobs, it is likely that you have been exposed to silica:

• Abrasive blasting using silica sand as the abrasive.
• Abrasive blasting of concrete.
• Chipping, hammering, and drilling rock.
• Crushing, loading, hauling, and dumping rock.
• Chipping, hammering, drilling, sawing, and grinding concrete or masonry.
• Demolition of concrete and masonry structures.
• Dry sweeping or pressurized air blowing of concrete or sand dust.
• Sandblasting to remove paint and rust from buildings, bridges, ship hulls, and other structures
• Jack hammering
• Concrete mixing or drilling
• Brick and concrete block cutting and sawing.
• Foundry work (mold shake-outs or knockouts, sand screening, sand recovery, conveying, grinding, etc.)
• Tunneling operations
• Repair or replacement of linings of rotary kilns and cupola furnaces;
• Setting, laying, and repair of railroad track
• Stone, clay, brick and glass production
• Manufacture of paints, plastics, soaps, and detergents

Initially there may be no symptoms, then some difficulty in breathing and coughing may be present.  Continued exposure may result in a shortness of breath upon exercising, possible fever and occasionally bluish skin at the ear lobes or lips, resulting from diminished circulation  Progression of the disease leads to fatigue, extreme shortness of breath, loss of appetite, pain in the chest, and respiratory failure, which all may lead eventually to death.  Acute silicosis may develop after short periods of extreme exposure, and chronic silicosis usually occurs after 10 or more years of exposure to lower levels of quartz dust.

The Nemeroff Law Firm handles legal claims on behalf of individuals and families coping with Silicosis. We offer compassionate representation, combined with aggressive advocacy on behalf of our clients.  We invite you to contact us for a free, confidential consultation about your legal rights. The Nemeroff Law Firm represents patients throughout the United States, and we can help you, too, wherever you live.

For more information, please call us toll-free at: 1-888-716-6402 or click here to complete this online contact form.  We will respond promptly to your inquiry.