The Workplace Exposure Research Program is formerly known as the health screening program. Its purpose is to help current workers protect themselves on their jobsite and their families at home from asbestos and silica exposure; get them tested and walk through the possibilities and process if a positive result is found; and collect valuable data that will be used toward the prevention of asbestos complications and further asbestos studies.
If you want to read more about exposures, protections against them, and what your union is doing to help, visit SMOHIT's Workplace Exposure Awareness page.
What is silicosis?
Silicosis is a chronic lung disease caused by the inhalation of crystalline silica dust. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the time from initial exposure to when symptoms first appear depends on the duration and intensity of exposure, with higher exposures resulting in shorter latency periods and quicker disease development. Accelerated silicosis after high levels of exposure typically occurs after 5 to 10 years. Chronic silicosis is the most common type and occurs after 10 or more years of exposure to lower levels of silica.
What are other silicosis-related diseases?
- Lung cancer
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Kidney disease