The cotton dust papers. Science, politics, and power in the discovery of byssinosis in the U.S.
"In June 1978, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the U.S. Department of Labor promulgated a cotton dust standard (43 FR 27351) to protect cotton textile workers from the respiratory disease byssinosis (or "brown lung"). At that time, OSHA suggested that at le...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Institution: | ETUI-European Trade Union Institute |
| Format: | TEXT |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Amityville
2001
Baywood |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.labourline.org/KENTIKA-19295223124910134059-The-cotton-dust-papers.-Scienc.htm |
| Summary: | "In June 1978, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the U.S. Department of Labor promulgated a cotton dust standard (43 FR 27351) to protect cotton textile workers from the respiratory disease byssinosis (or "brown lung"). At that time, OSHA suggested that at least 35,000 workers suffered from the disease and another 100,000 were at risk due to exposure to cotton dust. The Centers for Disease Control conservatively estimates that 183 workers died from byssinosis between 1979-1992. These figures, of course, do not include the generations that fell victim to brown lung before 1978.
The Cotton Dust Papers is the story of the 50-year struggle for recognition in the U.S. of this pernicious occupational disease. The authors contend that byssinosis could have and should have been recognized much sooner, as a great deal was known about the disease as early as the 1930s. Using mostly primary sources, the authors explore three instances from the 1930s to the 1960s in which evidence suggested the existence of brown lung in the mills, yet nothing was done. What the story of byssinosis makes clear is that the economic and political power of private owners and managers can hinder and shape the work of health investigators. Yet this story also shows how a progressive coalition of labor and other forces can cause an industry to break ranks and finally acknowledge the existence of an occupational disease. The Cotton Dust Papers is thus a cautionary tale of how social arrangements can either perpetuate or help to overcome human suffering. A fascinating and accessible piece of historical detective work, The Cotton Dust Papers offers lessons about the pursuit of occupational health that remain relevant and important today. " |
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| Physical Description: | 160 p. Paper |