Occupationally-related disease
M10.8 Occupationally Related Disease
I selected byssinosis, more commonly known as brown lung, specifically b/c I have never heard of it before. But brown lung is characterized as asthma like symptoms that, with prolonged exposures, can cause irreversible chronic obstructive lung disease. Brown lung is seen most commonly in workers who work in cotton processing plants, as well as hemp and flax industries. Brown lung has also been known as "Monday fever", which is characterized by workers coming back from the weekend after experiencing no asthma like symptoms and then once at work re-triggering their symptoms which would continue to get worse as the week goes on due to cotton dust exposure.
Cotton effects on workers respiratory systems was known by doctors since 1705, however little was done prior to the later 1900's to actually make any regulations around the inhalation of cotton. 50,000 workers were being impacted at a single given time in the later 1970's with 7-26% of employees from a single mill being impacted. In 1978, OSHA finally added regulations of the safe work environment and practices around mills and factories that are impacted by particles that can cause brown lung. By 1983, only 5 years after regulations were put in place, the prevalence of brown lung was reduced by 97%.
The textile industry believed that they would be overburdened with cost when this ruling came into play and attempted to sue OSHA to repeal the regulation. However the cost of making their factories safer was significantly less than previously expected and brought in new and more efficient machineries to their factories. Additionally, it made their workforce more efficient and healthier as well.
In terms of campaign work, the American Lung Association still maintains information about brown lung even though it is not at the heightened level that it was at in the past. Although many campaigns that are run through the American Lung Association are focused on lung cancer, they also bring awareness to the vast array of lung and respiratory diseases that can impact the community. During the late 1970s there was an actual Brown Lung Association and Brown Lung Legal center to focus on combined efforts for stricter regulation. The initiative to change was primarily run by grassroots initiative to make change by those that were the most effected, primarily in the southern states where textile factories were heavily prevalent.
Resources:
I selected byssinosis, more commonly known as brown lung, specifically b/c I have never heard of it before. But brown lung is characterized as asthma like symptoms that, with prolonged exposures, can cause irreversible chronic obstructive lung disease. Brown lung is seen most commonly in workers who work in cotton processing plants, as well as hemp and flax industries. Brown lung has also been known as "Monday fever", which is characterized by workers coming back from the weekend after experiencing no asthma like symptoms and then once at work re-triggering their symptoms which would continue to get worse as the week goes on due to cotton dust exposure.
Cotton effects on workers respiratory systems was known by doctors since 1705, however little was done prior to the later 1900's to actually make any regulations around the inhalation of cotton. 50,000 workers were being impacted at a single given time in the later 1970's with 7-26% of employees from a single mill being impacted. In 1978, OSHA finally added regulations of the safe work environment and practices around mills and factories that are impacted by particles that can cause brown lung. By 1983, only 5 years after regulations were put in place, the prevalence of brown lung was reduced by 97%.
The textile industry believed that they would be overburdened with cost when this ruling came into play and attempted to sue OSHA to repeal the regulation. However the cost of making their factories safer was significantly less than previously expected and brought in new and more efficient machineries to their factories. Additionally, it made their workforce more efficient and healthier as well.
In terms of campaign work, the American Lung Association still maintains information about brown lung even though it is not at the heightened level that it was at in the past. Although many campaigns that are run through the American Lung Association are focused on lung cancer, they also bring awareness to the vast array of lung and respiratory diseases that can impact the community. During the late 1970s there was an actual Brown Lung Association and Brown Lung Legal center to focus on combined efforts for stricter regulation. The initiative to change was primarily run by grassroots initiative to make change by those that were the most effected, primarily in the southern states where textile factories were heavily prevalent.
Resources:
Interesting how this condition is also found in hemp workers. I remember reading that hemp would be a great alternative to many other things like cotton and wood when it comes to the different types of products that could be made with hemp. After reading about brown lung, I wonder if people would still feel the same way about using hemp as a replacement.
ReplyDelete