Occupational health in the 1990s.

Where have we come since the Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed in 1970? Have we made progress in this country toward "safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women?" Many hazardous exposures that were prevalent before the creation of NIOSH, OSHA, and MSHA have been reduced. Exposure to asbestos, coal dust, silica, lead, and cotton dust are common examples. Through OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard and state Right to Know laws as well as an increase in the dissemination of information, the average employer and worker today is better informed of specific hazards on the job, and more attentive to safety measures. However, the high toll of work related disease and injuries continues today.