occupational safety

This image, from a video produced by government safety researchers, shows a countertop worker using a machine with a spray of water that's intended to control dust.

Young men making quartz countertops are facing lung damage. One state is taking action

12:34pm July 24, 2023

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Countertops made of the engineered stone "quartz" are incredibly popular, but public health experts say cutting this material unsafely can expose workers to deadly dust.

A worker cuts black granite to make a countertop. Though granite, marble and "engineered stone" all can produce harmful silica dust when cut, ground or polished, the artificial stone typically contains much more silica, says a CDC researcher tracking case

Workers Are Falling Ill, Even Dying, After Making Kitchen Countertops

12:25pm October 02, 2019

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Irreversible lung disease has started to show up among young workers who cut, grind and polish countertops made of increasingly popular "engineered" stone. The material is more than 90% silica.

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The American Iron and Steel Institute is one of the trade groups that wants Congress to undo the stronger safety regulation enacted in 2016 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Congress May Undo Rule That Pushes Firms To Keep Good Safety Records

4:39pm March 20, 2017

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Labor statistics specialists under George W. Bush and Barack Obama warn that if the safety regulation is repealed, record keeping on worker injuries will become less accurate and less reliable.

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Liam is a robot Apple created to disassemble iPhones.

These Earth-Saving Robots Might Be The Future Recyclers

2:32pm April 24, 2016

by Zhai Yun Tan

Apple recently unveiled Liam, a robot with 29 arms that takes apart iPhones so materials can be recycled and reused. As we accumulate more waste, recycling robots like Liam might become more common.