According to Public Citizen, workers using coal slag abrasive are exposed to dangerous levels of beryllium, which has been linked to cases of cancer. Coal slag abrasive coal slag abrasive to blast ship hulls, bridges and other metal structures in preparation for painting.<\/i><\/p>\n
In a letter to OSHA Enforcement Director Thomas Galassi, the group demanded that OSHA enforce a law requiring manufacturers of coal slag abrasive to disclose that their product contains \u201cdangerous\u201d levels of beryllium.<\/p>\n
\u201cWorkers have a right to know if they are being exposed to toxic chemicals,\u201d said Justin Feldman, worker health and safety advocate with Public Citizen\u2019s Congress Watch division. \u201cBut coal slag manufacturers are not indicating that their product contains cancer-causing beryllium. Some companies even have the audacity to market their product as non-toxic. OSHA needs to enforce the law and end this practice at once.\u201d<\/p>\n
OSHA\u2019s right-to-know rules require manufacturers to disclose the toxic chemicals in their products if workers might be exposed to unsafe levels. According to Public Citizen, a number of studies have demonstrated that people working with the product are routinely exposed to levels of beryllium that exceed\u00a0OSHA Training<\/b><\/a>\u00a0standards. Beryllium exposure causes lung cancer and chronic beryllium disease, a debilitating lung condition.<\/p>\n \u201cOSHA\u2019s enforcement staff has known about this issue for several months, and we are calling on them to do the right thing,\u201d Feldman said. \u201cDozens of blasting workers die each year from beryllium exposure. If OSHA just enforces the rules that are already on the books, it will save lives.\u201d<\/p>\n