Silicosis Prevention: A Matter of People and Pay

The campaign to end silicosis, a disabling respiratory disease caused by overexposure to silica dust that accumulates in the lungs, reached its peak in the 1930s.

The document we are highlighting today is a special for the New York Times from April 1936 that covers the height of the silicosis crisis. It states that silicosis prevention became a major issue not just for labor unions fighting for workers’ rights, but also for employers “because of common law damage suits aggregating millions.”

Regarding New York, Commissioner Andrews said:

Because of high insurance premiums related to silicosis compensation, many plants were faced with the threat of shutdown. Some employers tried to cheat laborers who contracted silicosis by refusing to place them on the payroll. To fight silicosis, companies and labor organizations turned their hopes to new mechanical appliances that claimed to reduce the hazard.

The silicosis prevention movement continued to gain support but declined in the mid-20th century. It was only a half-century later, late in the Obama Administration, when a new silicosis safety standard was finally adopted again by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).