The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-596) assures, insofar as possible, safe and healthful working conditions for every working man and woman in the Nation. The act charges the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) with recommending occupational safety and health standards and describing exposure concentrations that are safe for various periods of employment, including but not limited to the concentrations at which no worker will suffer diminished health, functional capacity, or life expectancy as a result of his or her work experience. Under...

Young workers warrant special consideration to foster a safe and healthful entree to the world of work. While there is consistent evidence that young workers are at increased risk for injury in the workplace, largely due to inexperience, the solutions and path forward are not straight-forward. Efforts to facilitate opportunities for youth to gain meaningful job experiences that foster development of marketable job skills for their future need to be balanced with efforts to protect them from work-related injury and illness. Additionally, work is just one component of youths' lives and their...

Respirable dust exposure has long been known to be a serious health threat to workers in many industries. In coal mining, overexposure to respirable coal mine dust can lead to coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP). CWP is a lung disease that can be disabling and fatal in its most severe form. In addition, miners can be exposed to high levels of respirable silica dust, which can cause silicosis, another disabling and/or fatal lung disease. Once contracted, there is no cure for CWP or silicosis. The goal, therefore, is to limit worker exposure to respirable dust to prevent development of these...