Contents

• Introduction 2
• Silica and Silica Dust 3
• Silica Dust as a Hazardous Material 5
• Health Hazards of Silica Dust 6
• Symptoms and Other Effects of Silicosis 7
• Silica: A Designated Substance 8
• Ontario Health and Safety Act Violations:- 11
• Violation 1 11
• Violation 2 11
• Violation 3 12
• Violation 4 12
• The Employer’s Negligence 13
• Recommendations 14
• Conclusion 16
• References 18

Description

The human race has grown many folds in the past century. Science and technology have made great progress and result of this is the unprecedented industrial growth. Industrial revolution has mainly revolved around the smart and the hard working work force. Great care and efforts are being taken by various organizations to safeguard the interests and the rights of the workers. But still in various industries, the employers have completely neglected workers’ rights and interests. The profits focused employers at times neglect the well being of the workers and this attitude of some of the employers is putting the workforce with undue health risks. For example, a chemical industry might not enforce all the safety measures required to contain leakage of spurious gases that might adversely affect the health of the workers. The tragedy of Union Carbide in Bhopal, India in 1984 left thousands of workers as well as the civilians of the town dead and thousands more have been suffering with myriad health problems as a result of inhaling poisonous gas (Baldauf, 2004). This report is aimed at bringing one such issue to the notice of the OHSA, Occupational Health and Safety Agency. The main purpose of this report is to bring to safeguard the interests of the workers and improve the standards of the work place at Wallace Manufacturing Corporation. The owner of Wallace Manufacturing Corporation is away from the work place all through the year and he has appointed his nephew Mr. Roy as the in-charge. However, Mr. Roy does know all the information on health risks and the safety measures adopted in industries using sand. At Wallace Manufacturing Corporation workers are involved in industrial activities like grinding of sand and one of the by products is Silica dust. Silica dust is categorized as designated substance and inhalation of which could cause serious health hazards to the workforce. Air at the workplace is always filled with Silica dust. Employer has not provided with Personal Protective Equipment [PPE] and there is no adequate ventilation for allowing fresh air to come in and to flush out silica dust. Employees are facing severe health issues like cough, stuffy noses, head aches, body aches, etc. But no initiative is taken by the corporation to find out as to why this is happening. Even after being informed that the dust is silica and it is hazardous to health the employer has completely neglected the issue. This report is a detailed study about Silica, its adverse effects on human health, the safety laws that are being violated and the members of the corporation responsible for this. The report finally makes certain recommendations to the concerned authorities of the organization as well as that of the OHSA.