Lung illness
Heartfelt because of reporter Rick Sobey for his well timed story on the nationwide epidemic of silicosis lung illness that has now reached Massachusetts in a stone countertop employee (“Massachusetts employee in stone countertop business is state’s first case of ‘devastating, life-altering illness’,” Herald, Dec. 9).
Having seen many sufferers with silicosis from their jobs in mining, tunneling, ceramic manufacture, tuckpointing, and cement ending, I’ve discovered that prevention is one of the best (and solely) remedy.
In case you personal or work in a stone countertop ending store and want to assess the protection of your office, the Massachusetts Dept. of Labor will present at your request a no-cost and confidential on-site analysis, Security WorksConsultation | Mass.gov
Or you possibly can seek the advice of an authorized industrial hygienist to measure the silica ranges within the office air and — if wanted — to put in safeguards (aiha.org/Consultants-Listing).
A protecting commonplace of the Occupational Security and Well being Administration governs the secure use of silica merchandise (1910.1053 – Respirable crystalline silica). In case you really feel an OSHA commonplace is being violated, you possibly can contact the regional workplace in Andover at (978) 837- 4460.
William Beckett MD
Watertown
Ed Markey
You reported that Rep. Ayanna Presley has bowed out of difficult 79-year-old Sen. Ed Markey for his seat in the USA Senate leaving solely Rep. Seth Moulton as a challenger. Markey has resisted the various calls that he retire. He’s apparently unwilling to retire from the one job he has ever held. And our present president, Donald Trump, at 79 isn’t any spring hen both.
The Structure has established a minimal age for senators, congressmen and the president. It’s effectively previous the time when that very same Structure ought to be amended to supply a most age as effectively.
Harvey Silverglate
Cambridge
NH gratitude
New Hampshire politicians held a press convention at our State Home thanking Gov. Maura Healey for successfully pushing massive firms like Syncor and Analogic Corp out of Massachusetts and into New Hampshire (“NH lawmakers thank Gov. Healey for ‘rising financial divide’ between states,” Herald, Dec. 11).
Healey’s reply was that day-after-day a whole lot of hundreds of employees drive from New Hampshire to work at jobs in Massachusetts. Do I must remind our governor that it isn’t a bragging level when employees are prepared to drive to a different state to work after which take their paycheck {dollars} again to New Hampshire to spend?
Donald Houghton
Quincy
