Page 86 - Occupational Health & Safety, July 2018

RESPIRATORY PROTECTION
that welding fumes increase the risk of lung cancer,6 and to some degree, kidney cancer and chronic inflammation.
Wildfire Smoke
The last few years have seen a confluence of wildfires within the United States. The number of acres burned in this country last year was the second highest since the 1950s, following only 2015. Research conducted by the University of Missouri7 predicts that climate change is influencing the probability and location of wild- fires in the United States. Working in and around such fires leads to chronic illness and even fatalities. According to data com- piled by the National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH),8 at least 350 fatalities were recorded from 2000-2016, with smoke inhalation being one of the attributable causes of the deaths. Wildfires are responsible for chronic illness and fatalities for the numerous first responders, firefighters, and supportive workers who are in and around such fires. Properly fitted, suit- able, and reliable respiratory equipment is more important than ever in such environments.
Asbestos
According to recent research9 conducted by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), one in four construction workers claims exposure to asbestos. Two-thirds of respondents said they did not know it can cause cancer. And most respondents also said they were uncertain what to do if they discovered asbestos
at a work site. This demonstrates a continuing knowledge gap be- tween safety managers and construction teams.
According to OSHA,10 construction and ship repair environ- ments are still the sites of the greatest exposure to this substance. Workers are also likely to be exposed during the manufacture of as- bestos products such as textiles, friction products, insulation, and other building materials, as well as during automotive brake and clutch repair work.
Hydrogen Sulfide
Animal waste is a major source of hazardous gases, including ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. Recently, the U.S. Congress passed legislation that exempts farms from reporting such pollutants to federal regulators. Now that individual states have to deal with regulating such waste releases, it ups the presence and risk of nox- ious wastes in and around such environments. While farms are not the only sites where hydrogen sulfide is present, they are a major contributor. With the shift of regulatory responsibility to the states, it can only mean the stakes are higher to prevent workers in and around such sites from inhaling hydrogen sulfide.
Agricultural Dusts
Agricultural environments involve numerous respiratory risks, from grain dust that gets mixed with mold, plant material, animal hair and dander, and feces to dirt stirred up by plowing. Recent reporting in Hearst’s Journal-Courier said that “severe respiratory
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