Countertop cutters in California are dying from an incurable illness.
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| silicosis, an irreversible lung illness that affects workers who cut and polish manufactured stone rich in crystalline silica, affects Leobardo Segura Meza, 27, of Pacoima. |
Men toiled over large slabs of speckled stone within the row of factories in an industrial area of Pacoima, saws groaning over the sounds of Spanish-language rock music.
While they labored, a pale dust rose all around them. Masks were not worn by many. Others had nothing to stop the powder from rising in the air, while some had water gushing from their equipment.
When Maria Cabrera approached holding leaflets on silicosis, an untreatable and stifling disease that has ruined dozens of employees across the state and killed men who had just entered middle age, one man with a Dodgers cap replied in Spanish, "Nobody uses water."
At the Branford Street location, Cabrera advised him and other visitors to try to defend themselves. Cabrera is a community outreach worker with the charity Pacoima Beautiful. When workers breathe in small crystalline silica particles while cutting and grinding stone that includes the mineral, silicosis can wreak havoc on their lungs.
Although the illness has been there for generations, experts claim that a new pandemic of an accelerated form of the suffocating ailment has been sparked by the rising popularity of countertops constructed of engineered stone, which has far higher concentrations of silica than many types of natural stone. Workers may get weak and short of breath as the condition progresses and scars their lungs from the hazardous dust, which can also cause lung collapse.
Cabrera informed the man in Spanish, "You can get a transplant, but it won't last."
It has started to weaken young employees in California, primarily Latino immigrants who cut and polish engineered stone slabs. The disease is increasingly affecting guys in their 20s, 30s, or 40s rather than emerging in persons in their 60s or 70s after decades of exposure, according to Dr. Jane Fazio, a pulmonary critical care physician who grew concerned by instances she observed at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center. In their 30s, some California patients have passed away.
A 27-year-old parent in Pacoima claimed that as his oxygen tank begins to deplete as his children play, he now needs to rush home from the park with his 8-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son. Leobardo Segura Meza claimed he was unable to exercise or gallop around the soccer field the way he once could.
Also, he is unable to work. He cut, polished, and installed countertops in and around Los Angeles County for ten years. He claimed that there was a lot of dust present and that the only protection provided to him was a dust mask, which he claimed was insufficient for the task. He occasionally tried to attach a hose to the machine to cut down on dust. However, he said that there were no equipment distributing water as they were cutting.
He claimed that he started to experience a persistent cough and that climbing stairs made him short of breath. He grew lighter. He was once admitted to the hospital after one of his lungs failed.
Before receiving a diagnosis, Segura Meza had never even heard of silicosis. "This condition is incurable. He said in Spanish, "The only thing they can do is a lung transplant.
As more employees become ill, he worries that "there aren't enough lungs for us." Segura Meza stated at a state hearing last summer that two of his coworkers had already passed away while awaiting transplants.
Cabrera and another Pacoima went to the office to inform the staff of the danger. Long-sleeved workers were waiting for drivers to give them work in the Home Depot parking lot in San Fernando as attractive outreach worker Claudia Vasquez made the rounds. Few people have heard of the illness.
How is silicosis diagnosed?
Several doctor visits and testing are often required to determine the diagnosis of silicosis. Your doctor will inquire about your breathing habits during the visit, both when you're at rest and when you're exercising. In order to assess the likelihood of silica exposure, they will also ask you detailed questions about your employment history.
Since there is no unique test for silicosis, the diagnosis is made using a number of different variables. The following are crucial indicators for silicosis diagnosis:
Patient history: Your doctor will check to see if you have ever been exposed to enough silica dust to develop the condition.
Chest imaging: High-resolution computed tomography (CT) scans and chest X-rays are frequently utilized to identify abnormalities that are consistent with silicosis.
Exclusion of Other Conditions: Your physician will check to see if there are any underlying conditions that are more likely to be the source of the abnormalities.
In some instances, other examinations, like pulmonary function tests and laboratory testing, may be carried out to assess lung function and rule out other illnesses.
What is Epidemic?
An epidemic is a sudden spread of a disease that affects a significant portion of a population in a given area. It is characterized by the disease spreading quickly to a lot of hosts in a short amount of time. When there is a sudden rise in the number of disease cases in a particular region, epidemics can happen. Smallpox, measles, polio, and yellow fever are a few examples of epidemics.
An endemic disease, on the other hand, is persistently present yet is restricted to a certain area. Accordingly, the disease's rates of transmission and progression are predictable. An endemic illness that is unique to particular nations and locations is malaria.
The rate of transmission is the primary distinction between an epidemic and a pandemic. A pandemic happens when a disease spreads rapidly over a large geographic area, affecting numerous nations and populations. An epidemic refers to the rapid spread of a disease inside a particular geographic area.
Occupational safety and health
The multidisciplinary area of occupational safety and health (OSH), often known as occupational health and safety (OHS), is concerned with the welfare, safety, and health of people while they are at work. It covers a range of topics, including occupational hygiene and occupational medicine. The main objective of OSH is to promote a secure and healthy workplace. Additionally, it extends its protection to members of the broader public who might be impacted by the workplace environment.
OSH is essential in preventing illnesses, accidents, and injuries at work. According to the UN, exposure to occupational risk factors results in approximately 2 million deaths per year.
An annual death toll from illnesses or accidents related to the workplace exceeds 2.78 million persons worldwide. In addition, there are over 374 million nonfatal workplace accidents each year. Nearly 4% of the world's annual gross domestic product is thought to be lost to occupational-related illness and death.
Employers are required by common law to provide for the safety of their workers. Statutory law may establish new general obligations, add particular obligations, and establish government agencies with authority to handle occupational safety matters.
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