Trump Proposes Dumping Protections For Shipyard, Construction Workers

"President Donald Trump’s Labor Department has proposed scrapping key protections intended to protect shipyard and construction workers from exposure to beryllium, a toxic mineral that can cause deadly lung disease.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Friday that it would preserve a new limit for exposure to beryllium, which is 10 times lower than the previous standard. But the agency proposed eliminating new requirements for shipbuilding and construction industries to monitor beryllium levels, provide workers with medical testing for illnesses and provide protective equipment and clothing.

These industries and the public will now have the opportunity to submit comments to the agency on whether current standards sufficiently protect shipyard and construction workers performing tasks such as abrasive blasting."
 
Jennifer Gollan reports for Reveal (Center for Investigative Reporting) June 26, 2017.