M10.8: Occupationally related disease

I chose to research on byssinosis because I had never heard of it before.

Byssinosis is an occupational lung disease that mainly affects workers in cotton processing, hemp or flax industries (American Lung Association, n,d). Byssinosis causes asthma-like breathing difficulty, usually at the beginning of the work week and improves as the work week progresses or dust exposure decreases/stops. Prolonged exposure may cause lung damage that is similar to irreversible chronic obstructive lung disease.

OSHA issued the Cotton Dust Standard on June 2, 1978 and amended it on December 12, 1985. The Cotton Dust Standard is to reduce the significant risk of byssinosis (U.S. Department of Labor, 2000). Before the establishment of the Standard, more than 50,000 cotton textile workers suffered from the disease at any one time. The Standard sets maximum permissible exposure limits (PELs) for cotton dust which vary by operation. The Standard contributed to increased industry productivity growth, from 2.5% per year in 1972-79 to 3.5% per year in 1979-1991. States with cotton textile industries have adopted cotton dust standards which are virtually identical to the Federal standard.

To date, the Federal Cotton Dusts Standard is still in effect to protect workers from risk of byssinosis.



References:

American Lung Association. (n,d). Lung health & diseases: Byssinosis. Retrieved from https://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/byssinosis/

United States Department of Labor. (2000). Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/federalregister/2000-12-07-1