Whether you predominantly work in a rail yard, tunnel, repair shop, or track maintenance zone, you may be consistently breathing in dust particles. Such dust particles may originate from ballast, diesel exhaust residue, brake systems, cargo materials, and other industrial debris. Unfortunately, you may not notice the effects of this dust inhalation until after you leave or retire from railroad work. However, this does not mean you missed out on your chance to hold your employer accountable in a Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) claim. With that being said, please read on to discover how long-term dust exposure can harm you and how one of the seasoned FELA lawyers at Hildebrand McLeod & Nelson LLP can help with your legal response.
How are workers exposed to dust while working on the railroad?
To reiterate, many job functions on the railroad involve constant exposure to dust particles. Of note, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) regulates dust exposure through permissible exposure limits based on the type of dust, but mostly what is known as particles not otherwise regulated and hazardous dusts like silica. With that, railroad employers are supposed to provide protective personal equipment (PPE) at no cost to employees who are working in areas where dust exceeds these OSHA limits. So essentially, when your employer violates these explicit OSHA regulations, you may be unnecessarily exposed to harmful dust while working. More specific examples are as follows:
- Rail cutting and grinding may release large amounts of fine particulate matter on the track.
- Utilizing certain equipment can create dust clouds and disturb debris in the railyard.
- Utilizing welding tools can emit fumes and metal particles in an enclosed workship area.
Can long-term dust exposure cause railroad workers serious illness?
The types of dust found in a railroad environment are often respirable. This means they are particles small enough to go deep into a railroad worker’s lungs, unfortunately. That said, respirable particles are commonly linked to serious and chronic illnesses. To name a few, the possibilities are occupational asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, reactive airway disease, interstitial lung disease, silicosis, pulmonary fibrosis, lung cancer, and other respiratory diseases.
On top of this, these small dust particles may affect you slowly, and you may not notice it right away. However, you must not ignore or brush off slow-onset symptoms like chronic fatigue, bronchitis, pneumonia, and breathing troubles. The sooner you address these issues, the better able a medical professional may be to salvage your health. Plus, the more effective your future FELA claim against a negligent railroad employer may be.
You probably have more questions regarding this topic, and we would be happy to answer them for you. So please schedule an initial consultation with one of the talented FELA lawyers from Hildebrand McLeod & Nelson LLP. We look forward to our conversation with you.
