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Historical and emerging workplaces affected by silica exposure since the 1930 Johannesburg conference on Silicosis, with special reference to construction
Author(s) -
Sauvé JeanFrançois
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.22507
Subject(s) - silicosis , medicine , occupational hygiene , environmental health , occupational exposure , occupational disease , epidemiology , occupational safety and health , pathology
Introduction At the time of the 1930 International Labour Office Conference on silicosis in Johannesburg, mining was the main sector affected by silicosis; however, other industries would later emerge as areas of concern. Methods A search of the occupational hygiene and epidemiological literature was conducted to retrieve historical and current documents pertaining to silica exposure and associated hazards. Results The potential risk of silicosis in construction became evident starting in the 1960s, and the body of literature including case reports, sampling surveys, and medical surveillance continues to grow to this day. Among non‐construction activities, hydraulic fracturing and engineered countertop manufacturing have recently appeared as industries with a potential for overexposure, while mining remains the industrial sector with the highest prevalence of exposure. Conclusions The risk of developing this “ancient disease” remains a current issue in many workplaces, and requires ongoing surveillance and prevention efforts. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:S67–S71, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.