We know how to prevent black lung, so why are workers still dying?
Sufferers of black lung and silicosis are getting younger as Trump and the coal mining industry push back on protections Silicosis is one of the oldest workplace hazards and public health experts have known for decades how to prevent it. Yet a new wave of workers, from Appalachian coalminers to Latino countertop fabrication workers, are developing and dying from the disease as industry fights new…
Black lung and silicosis, two occupational lung diseases, are increasingly affecting younger workers, despite knowing how to prevent them. The Trump administration and the coal mining industry are resisting new safety measures. Silicosis, one of the oldest workplace hazards, has long been understood by public health experts to be preventable.
Yet, new workers from Appalachian coalmines to Latino countertop fabrication workers are falling ill and dying from the disease as industry clamps down on protective measures and regulators neglect to uphold the rules that could safeguard them. John Robinson's grandfather suffered from black lung in the past when miners could work in mines for decades before diagnosis, often dying in their 60s, 70s, and 80s.
However, Robinson, who worked in coal mines in southwest Virginia, was diagnosed at the age of 47. He is part of a growing trend in central Appalachia, where more coalminers are developing black lung disease at younger ages.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian US's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
